Southeast Asian Heritage, Community Development, and the Role of Archaeologists in the Process
Dr. Nigel Chang (Department of Anthropology, Archaeology & Sociology, James Cook University, Australia)
Thursday, September 16th, 3:00 pm, Crawford Hall 105
At the end of February, 2010, the (now) James Cook University led 10th excavation season at Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand was completed. The Ban Non Wat excavations are one of the longest-running archaeological research projects in Southeast Asia, and this project has led to greater, local, public involvement and interest than might otherwise be the case. Currently, strong local government interest is being translated into the building of a Community Learning Centre; some are arguing that the site be nominated for World Heritage status.
How did this come about? Is this the sort of thing that archaeologists should be doing? Is there such a thing as too much knowledge or community involvement, and does this intensity of research provide fuel for the illicit trafficking in antiquities? These questions will all be considered at Ban Non Wat as well as for another (also JCU-led) ongoing project; this time based in Laos and with a significant commercial component. Of particular interest is the issue of how the Laos-based project's status as a contract archaeology project affects the nature of community engagement.
Dr. Nigel Chang (Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology) holds a Ph.D. from the University of Otago and co-directs the Society and Environment at Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand Project. He has worked in Thailand since 1991, worked in Cambodia several times, and currently also directs archaeological research in Laos.
Co-sponsored with the UHM Center for Southeast Asian Studies
For further information, please contact Dr. Miriam Stark at
miriams@hawaii.edu
Dr. Miriam Stark
Dept Anthropology, U Hawai'i-M¨¡noa
2424 Maile Way, Saunders 346
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822 U.S.A.
Tel. 808-956-7552/Fax 808-956-9541
Lower Mekong Archaeological Project:
http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/Projects/LOMAP/index.html
Luce Asian Archaeology Program:
http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/Projects/LAAP/
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