Historical Archaeology in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Historical archaeology in Southeast Asia can be divided into two periods: the classic era of the Hindu and Buddhist civilizations, which began approximately 2,000 years ago, and the postclassic era, which began around A.D. 1400 with the expansion of Islam and Theravada Buddhism, followed by the arrival of European colonists in the 16th century. The use of “historical archaeology” to refer to this 2,000-year-long period differs from the sense of the term used in Europe, South Africa, Australia, and North America, where historical archaeology is normally applied to the last 500 years. This essay describes the attitudes toward the transition from antiquity to the present from the perspective of archaeology in various parts of Southeast Asia. The main focus is on the perspective of local archaeologists, rather than those from outside the region.