Delegates of the IPPA 20th Congress (2014) in Siem Reap, Cambodia (photo ©FCampos)
In Focus
A Second Message from the President of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (IPPA)
Dear Esteem colleagues,
Greetings from Thailand. This is the first message after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. These couple years, our lives, research, and teaching were full of difficulties, frustrations, and obstacles. Our local and international committees have worked very hard to ensure that this meeting can continue as planned in 2022. Over the past two years, we make sure that we have a secure funding for our congress with the great supports from Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University and the other Institutional partners including The Royal Thai Fine Arts Department, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropological Centre (Public Orgnaization), Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization), Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts, Social Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, ICOMOS International Committee on Archaeological Management, and Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University Alumni Association. In addition, we have many volunteers to help with the different tasks. Without them, this congress would not be possible. I thank them all.
At this Congress, we cover a wide range of topics including new discoveries in the Indo-Pacific region from the modern human dispersal to the socio-cultural issues in contemporary society involving gender, collaborative research, indigenous and local communities. These presented research also indicate the progress of Indo-Pacific archaeology through the diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches. Indeed, our research can put our regional in the world context.
Up to now, although the economic crisis and health situation are evenly not good within our region. I am delighted to see that we have also received attendance from fellow members who will come to present at this congress. We have a total of 60 sessions with over 550 people from 48 countries.
However, I am deeply saddened by the news that many colleagues cannot attend; especially, from Myanmar and China due to the civil conflict and the domestic Covid-19 regulation, respectively. We definitely miss them.
What’s new this year? There are many awards including a Student Poster Prize, a Professional Archaeologist Poster Prize and a Presentation Prize. We hope these awards are a blessing and encouragement to our fellow members for their hard and good works. In addition, we have held a few workshops to enhance research skills before and after the meeting. To the end, we organize the excursions to archaeological sites in Thailand which you can choose according to your interests. Please don’t forget to sign up ahead of time!!!
We also have an opportunity to bring you to join our Loy Krathong tradition in Chiang Mai where is a famous province for this event!!! Loy Krathong is a common ritual of Southeast Asia to thank the goddess of the water on the full moon night. We can pray for blessing and asking for bad things to pass by our lives in order to start over. We believe this ceremony is a perfect fit for our meeting. We are expecting to go back to work in the fields after missing three years during the Covid-19.
It is time to be joyful. We look forward to meeting you all in November and let’s strengthen our Indo-Pacific archaeological community and make the impact for the future together!!!.
Rasmi
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Rasmi Shoocongdej, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology,
Silpakorn University, 31 Na Phra Lan road,
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
President of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (IPPA)
Please join our 22th IPPA Congress, 6-12 November 2022
At Le Meridian Marriott, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Prof. Peter Bellwood Awarded International Cosmos Prize
Dear Members,
I am very pleased to announce that Prof. Peter Bellwood has been awarded the 28th International Cosmos Prize for his contributions to developing our understanding of past human societies, and especially his multi-disciplinary research on the 'early farming dispersal hypothesis'.
Additional Resources
Digital resources from Charles Higham: Reports on Ban Non Wat, Nong Nor, Non Ban Jak, Noen U-Loke, Khok Phanom Di and Ban Lum Khao that can be downloaded free of charge with the url below. Downloadable copies of a selection of recent articles Higham have been involved in as an author are also available.
Call for Submissions
Antiquity
Antiquity Journal is actively seeking to publish research that represents global diversity in archaeology. Research from Australia and New Zealand seem to be under-represented at present, but all research from our region is considered.
Proposals for Island & Coastal Archaeology Book Series
From the University Press of Florida titled "Society and Ecology in Island and Coastal Archaeology"
Series Description: The settlement and occupation of islands, coastlines, and archipelagoes can be traced deep into the human past. From the voyaging and seafaring peoples of Oceania to the Mesolithic fisher-hunter-gatherers of coastal Ireland, to coastal salt production among Maya traders, the range of variation found in these societies over time is boundless. Yet, they share a commonality that links them all together—their dependence upon seas, coasts, and estuaries for life and prosperity. Thus, in all these cultures there is a fundamental link between society and the ecology of islands and coasts. Books in this series explore the nature of humanity’s relationship to these environments from a global perspective.
For more information please visit the weblink:
Next IPPA 2022 Congress
Dear all,
It is my pleasure to announce the next IPPA Congress.
The Executive Committee voted to support the Thailand proposal to host the 2022 IPPA Congress. The Congress will be held at the Le Meridien Hotel, Chiang Mai from the 7th -12th November 2022. The successful Thai application to host the Congress is a joint project between Silpakorn University, Fine Arts Department of Thailand, SEAMEO SPAFA and the Princess Maha-Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre.
Further information will follow on the website over the coming months as we make progress in the organisation.
https://www.ippasecretariat.org/22nd-ippa-congress
As is IPPA policy, the Association will have a new president. We thank co-Presidents Dr. Nguyễn Giang Hải and Dr. Phan Thanh Hải for all their hard work in organising and implementing the very successful 2018 IPPA Congress. Their four year term (2016-2020) is now completed. We welcome our new President: Professor Rasmi Shoocongdej (Silpakorn University). Rasmi will lead the organisation of the 2022 Chiang Mai Congress.
Congratulations, Rasmi!
Yours
P
Message from IPPA President Rasmi Shoocongdej
Dear esteemed colleagues,
As the next President of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, I would like to extend incredible thanks to everybody for all of your warm wishes and support. I feel honoured, privileged, and humbled at the same time.
I would like to thank all colleagues for your engagement with the organisation and support in the past and I look forward to future collaboration. Let me also take an opportunity to acknowledge the Former Co-Presidents: Dr. Nguyễn Giang Hải and Dr. Phan Thanh Hải and his Vietnamese colleagues for their tremendous works and efforts on the 2018 IPPA Congress in Hue, Vietnam and a secretary: Professor Ian Lilley for his devotion and hard-working over many years.
At this time, I would like to announce the 22nd Indo-Pacific Association Congress as planned at the Le Meridien Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand between 7th-12th November 2022. This will be hosted by Silpakorn University, Fine Arts Department, SEAMEO SPAFA, Sirindhorn Anthropological Centre (SAC), Social Research Institute Chiang Mai University, and Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand. I hope for perhaps more host sponsors which we will add to the list later. Note that the time will overlap with the Loi Krathong Festival. Don’t miss it and please mark your calendar!
I will be working closely with our new secretary: Professor Phil Piper, our executive committee and Thai committee members to ensure that the Congress will be well prepared. Logistically, with the challenges that come as we face a global pandemic, the coronavirus, has heavily impacted on our academic activities, field research, health and daily routines. We hope that we can still organise the 22nd Indo-Pacific Association Congress. I will keep you posted on the progress. We are working on our official website and will further update news regularly. Next year, we will call for a session. Please help us by being and renewing your membership. Also please let us know of your ideas and suggestions for the conference.
Last but not least, in the next four years I look forward to continuing to strengthen our professionalism in archaeological practices in Indo-Pacific region. Especially dear to me is to promote diversity and being a platform for dialog between archeologist and local community for sustainable heritage management.
I will see you all soon at the 22nd Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Congress if not before that.
Warmest regards,
Sawasdi ka…..
Rasmi Shoocongdej, PhD
President, Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association
Message from the Secretary General
Dear IPPA Community,
Thank you all for making the 21st Congress in Hue such an overwhelming success and a lot fun.
I would like to personally take the opportunity to thank Prof. Ian Lilley for all his hard work for our community, not just for this Congress, but the preceding one at Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2014.
Ian has now retired as the IPPA Secretary General, and I would like to thank the Executive Committee for my election to the position. I hope I can be as successful as previous individuals to take on this role since the inception of the Association at the 4th Pacific Science Congress in 1929!
Some important events need to occur in the coming months. Firstly, we will need to elect eight new members to the Executive Committee to help guide the Association through the next eight years. One of the first jobs of the Executive Committee will be to assess bids for the country and institution(s) that will host the next Congress.
I will send out further information on how we vote in new Executive Committee members before the year has ended. I would like to have the new members in place as early as possible next year.
At the same time if there are any countries/institutions interested in hosting the 22nd Congress please let us know. I will compile an information pack and send it out to interested parties so that they can make an educated assessment of suitability, and to determine whether they can facilitate the Congress. From there, it will be possible for your country/institution to compile a bid for submission to the Executive Committee. I hope to have a decision on the next Congress venue by the end of 2019 at the very latest.
The email address secgen@ippasecretariat.org will be the official IPPA Secretariat email you can write to. Visit the IPPA Secretariat website for updates. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Iza Campos in maintaining this website and for continuing to be part of the IPPA Secretariat.
I will be in touch soon.
Yours,
Phil
Secretary-General, Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association
