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Archeology plays a role in international co-operation and political relations between countries. Archaeological agencies of different countries often collaborate internationally across borders to restore and preserve historical sites. Nations lend workforce, financial resources, subject matter expertise, and technical knowledge to each other. Sometimes, archaeology may also function as an instrument of an international cultural and diplomatic strategy and assertion of civilizational identity. This blog attempts to look at archaeological co-operation related to East Asian and Indic temples, shrines, stupas, grottoes, and pilgrimage sites as it adds a component to the study of Religion in International Relations.
Different Archeological Agencies in South and East Asia
South, Southeast and East Asian countries have the following archeological agencies viz. Japanese Archeological Association, Department of Archeology (Nepal), Department of Archeology of Sri Lanka, National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Archeological Survey of India, Department of Archeology of Myanmar, Vietnam Institute of Archeology, National Museum of Vietnamese History, Department of National Heritage of Laos, Fine Arts Department of Thailand, Institute of Archeology at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (Cambodia), Archaeology and History Division of the National Museum of South Korea, Institute of Archeology, Russia for its autonomous Buddhist population republics of Kalmykia, Tuva and Buryatia. Bhutan currently does not have an independent archeological agency of its own. Local provincial administrations and its Tourism ministry collaborate with Swiss agencies viz. HELVETAS Swiss Inter-cooperation and the Swiss-Liechtenstein Foundation of Archaeological Research Abroad for excavation and restoration of its sites (BBS Radio, 2023; Penjore, 2021).
Cooperation between Archeological Agencies in Asia
A fleeting glimpse at examples of archeological co-operation in this region follows. The National Museum of Korea has joint expedition agreements with Vietnam (since 2006) and Mongolia (since 1997) for excavation projects through which it has conducted field surveys in both countries and held exhibitions/symposiums. Although tomb excavation has dominated the exchange project with Mongolia, an investigation in Buddhist art was conducted in 2003 (National Museum of Korea, n.d.).
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) hosted the 8th Council Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in December 1972. At this conference, the Southeast Asian region’s archeology and heritage specialists developed plans for ARCAFA (SEAMEO Applied Research Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts), which would be based in Phnom Penh. As Cambodia collapsed into a protracted civil war that terminated most of its archaeological research and historic preservation activities, ARCAFA took six more years to establish itself in Bangkok as SEAMEO SPAFA (Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts) and has since become the leading Southeast Asian organization imparting training in archaeological skills/ techniques and heritage management. Since 1994, the Lower Mekong Archeological Project (LOMAP) has been a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Hawaii, the East-West Center (EWC)- Hawaii and the Royal University of Fine Arts - a division of the Ministry of Culture and the Fine Arts, or RUFA, in Phnom Penh. It is jointly led by Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Kingdom of Cambodia and Dr. Miriam Stark of University of Hawai’i-Manoa. Archeological work at the ancient Angkor Borei region (often considered the cradle of Khmer civilization by the locals) included that of Vat Komnou- a renowned Buddhist pagoda (Stark, n.d.). The Xuanzang Trail project which began in 2020 is a collaboration between Cardiff University, UK, led by its Professor of Buddhist Studies- Max Deeg and the Bihar Heritage Development Society (BDHS) in India led by its executive director Dr. Bijoy Choudhury. The archeological project maps the different Buddhist sites in India visited by the Chinese scholar-monk Xuanzang during his 16-year journey in India. From 629 TO 645 AD, he collected Buddhist scriptures which he brought back to China and translated them to Chinese (Cardiff University, 2022). Starting August 2001, Japanese experts have helped China in the restoration of Kumtura Thousand Buddha Caves in the Xinjiang Autonomous region (UNESCO, n.d.). Japan funded a joint Japan- Nepal project at Lumbini, Nepal (the Buddha’s birthplace) (National Geographic Society, 2013).
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI)’s international restoration work includes the 12th century Buddhist Ananda Temple in Bagan, Myanmar; the Ta Prohm Temple – Angkor, Cambodia; Cham Monuments – Vietnam; Ketheeswaram Temple – Mannar, Sri Lanka; Vat Phou Temple Complex – Laos; Pashupatinath Temple – Kathmandu, Nepal ; Buddhist sites at Siddharthanagar, Kapilavastu, Tilaurakot and Lumbini, Nepal since the 1960s; Buddhist sites at Kuramathi, Todd and Nilandhe Atoll in Maldives for Buddhist artefacts; restoration effort of the 6th century Bamiyan Buddhas, Afghanistan; preservation of murals of Do de Drak, Nekhang-Lhakhange and Mithrape-lhakhang of Tongza D Zong fortress/monastery in Bhutan (Indbiz, 2019). The Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage helped Nepal to reconstruct the Basantapur Palace Temple in Kathmandu after it was damaged in the 2015 earthquake (Kang, 2022). By 2023, more than 30 Chinese archeology teams had conducted research in more than 20 countries (PR Newswire, 2023).
Towards a Future Research Program on Archeology and International Cooperation
A research project on this topic can throw up interesting results. A Research Question could be “What is scale and the contours of collaboration of South, South-east and East Asian countries on preservation and restoration of religious archeological sites?” A sub-question could be “Within this context, can archeology be an instrument of assertion of civilizational influence and power?”. The method of data collection could be a combination of primary and secondary data extraction. Primary data extraction could be through personal interviews of Professors of archeology, staff of archaeological agencies of relevant countries and leadership/staff of international institutes viz Archeological Institute of America and others. Secondary data extraction sources could be global databases, Journals of Archeology- both, international journals and intra-country journals which may not have international circulation and exposure, online sources, and websites of archeological agencies. The results, conclusion and recommendations for the future can open a new chapter in the study of Religion in International Relations.
References
BBS Radio (2023). Discoveries from Bhutan’s first archeological excavation unveiled in exhibition. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=187299
Cardiff University (2022). Mapping the Buddha's life: Reconstructing the Xuanzang Trail. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2690420-mapping-the-buddhas-life-reconstructing-the-xuanzang-trail.
PR Newswire (2023). Global Times: Joint archeology project writes new chapter of China- Uzbekistan friendship. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-joint-archaeology-project-writes-new-chapter-of-china-uzbekistan-friendship-301830275.html.
Indbiz (2019). India’s restoration of heritage sites strengthen global ties. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from https://indbiz.gov.in/indias-restoration-of-heritage-sites-strengthen-global-ties/.
Kang, L. (2022). Chinese restorers gaining global recognition through effort, recognition. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275587.shtml.
National Geographic Society (2013). Archaeological discoveries confirm early date of Buddha's life. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131125121710.htm.
National Museum of Korea (n.d.). Global Excavation Projects. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/content/mongolia.
Penjore. D. (2021). Digging the Past: The State of Archeological Study of Bhutan. Retrieved July 23, 2024 from https://dorjipenjore.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/digging-the-past-the-state-of-archaeological-study-of-bhutan/#:~:text=In%20absence%20of%20any%20systematic,are%20ubiquitous%20in%20Bhutanese%20homes.
Stark, M. (n.d.). Lower Mekong Archeological Project (LOMAP). Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www2.hawaii.edu/~miriams/lomap/index.html
UNESCO (n.d.). Kumtura Thousand Buddha Caves. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from https://www.unesco.emb-japan.go.jp/htm/kumtura.htm.