Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The History and Practice of Archaeology in Myanmar

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology

Abstract

Archaeology in Myanmar was inaugurated under the Archaeological Survey of India during the British colonial era. An independent Archaeological Survey of Burma was established in 1902. Members of the Survey were not trained in archaeology, but some were expert epigraphers. Early on, prehistoric research was mainly conducted by foreigners. Local archaeologists only began carrying out their first systematic excavations in the 1950s. Collaborative research between foreign and local archaeologists continued despite the long period of military rule. Research and training has been hampered by a lack of communication with international networks of scholars. This situation is now beginning to improve, but a lack of both financial resources and experience with recent theoretical and technical advances will require some time to rectify.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aung, T. U. (1968). Report on the excavations at Beikthano. Rangoon: Union Government of Burma, Ministry of Union Culture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aung, T. U. (1971). The “Neolithic” culture of the Padah-lin Caves. Asian Perspectives, 14, 123–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aung, T. U. (1972). Historical sites in Burma. Rangoon: Ministry of Culture, Union Government of Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aung-Thwin, M. (1982). Burma before Pagan: The status of archaeology today. Asian Perspectives, 25(2), 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aung-Thwin, M. (2001). Origins and development of the field of prehistory in Burma. Asian Perspectives, 40(1), 6–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aung-Thwin, M., & Stark, M. (2001). Recent developments in the archaeology of Myanma Pyay (Burma): An Introduction. Asian Perspectives, 40(1), 1–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chhibber, H. Lal. (1934). The geology of Burma & the mineral resources of Burma (pp. 1915–1916). London: Macmillan and Co., Correspondence on the Burma Archaeological Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D. H., Fletcher, R. J., Pottier, C., Chevance, J. B., Soutif, D., Tan, B. S.,… & Cromarty, C. (2013). Uncovering archaeological landscapes at Angkor using lidar. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(31), 12595–12600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goh, G. Y. (2012). A Look at Settlement Patterns of 5th–16th century Sites in Myanmar. In Bonatz, D., Reinicke, A., & Tjoa-Bonatz, M. L. (Eds.). Connecting Empires: Selected Papers from the 13th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists (Vol. 2, pp. 349–361). Singapore:National University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutman, P. (1978). The ancient coinage of southeast asia. Journal of the Siam Society, 66(1), 8–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutman, P., & Hudson, B. (2004). The archaeology of Burma (Myanmar) from the Neolithic to Pagan. In Ian Glover & Peter Bellwood (Eds.), Southeast Asia: From prehistory to history (pp. 149–176). London: RoutledgeCurzon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, N., Kyaing, A., San Win, C., & Lwin, T. (2007). Kharit Mataingmi Pawhtun khetdaw Tagaung Halin Beikthano Thareketthaya Maingmaw Shehaung Myohaung Myodaw myar hma athit twet shehaung thutethana bya [New archaeological finds at prehistoric Tagaung, Halin, Beikthano, Thayekhittara, and Maingmaw ancient cities]. Shehaung Myodaw Myar [Myanmar Archaeology], Yangon University Research Paper Reading. 19–20 January 2006. pp. 1–22. Yangon: Ministry of Culture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, B. (2004). The origins of Pagan. PhD dissertation, Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, B., & Lustig, T. (2008). Communities of the past: A new view of the old walls and hydraulic system at Sriksetra, Myanmar (Burma). Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 39(2), 269–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jean-Pierre, P., Coupey, A.-S., Maitay, C., Mornais, P., & Kyaw, A. A. (2004). Myanmar: décoverte d’une nécropole à Myo Hla. Archéologia, 411, 12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juleff, G. (2009). Technology and evolution: a root and branch view of Asian iron from first-millennium BC Sri Lanka to Japanese steel. World Archaeology, 41(4), 557–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko, T. S. (1892). Notes on an Archaeological Tour Through Ramannadesa (The Talaing Country of Burma). Indian Antiquary 21, 377–86. Republished as Taw Sein Ko. (1893). Notes on an archaeological tour through Ramannadesa (The Talaing Country of Burma). Bombay: The Education Society’s Steam Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marwick, B. (2009). Biography of middle Pleistocene hominins in mainland Southeast Asia: A review of current evidence. Quaternary International, 202, 51–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maw, B. (1995). The first discovery of the early man’s fossilized maxillary bone fragment in Myanmar. The East Asian Tertiary Quaternary Newsletter, 16, 72–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maw, B., Aung, T. T., Nyein, P., & Nyein, T. (1998). Artifacts of Anyathian cultures found in a single site. Myanmar Historical Research Journal, 2, 7–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miksic, J. (2001). Early Burmese urbanization: research and conservation. Asian Perspectives, 40(1), 88–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, E. (2007). Early landscapes of Burma. Bangkok: River Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, E. (2009). Place and space in early Burma: A new look at ‘Pyu Culture’. Journal of the Siam Society, 97, 101–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, E., & Maung, W. (2006). Change in the landscape of first millennium AD Myanmar. SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research, 4(2), 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Movius, H. L., Jr. (1948). The Lower Palaeolithic cultures of southern and eastern Asia. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 38(4), 329–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myint, A. U. (1970). The excavations at Halin. Journal of the Burma Research Society, 53(2), 55–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pautreau, J.-P. (Ed.). (2007). Ywa Htin: iron age burials in the Samon valley, upper Burma. Paris: Mission Archeologique Francaise au Myanmar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pautreau, J.-P., Pauk Pauk, U., & Domett, K. (2001). Le cimetiére de Hnaw Khan. Archéologia, 383, 58–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryce, T. O., Brauns, M., Chang, N., Ernst Pernicka, A., Pollard, M., Ramsey, C., et al. (2011). Isotopic and technological variation in prehistoric primary Southeast Asian copper production. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38, 3309–3322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pryce, T. O., Baron, S., Bellina, B. H. M., Bellwood, P. S., Chang, N., Chattopadhyay, P., et al. (2014). More questions than answers: The Southeast Asian Lead Isotope. Journal of Archaeological Science, 42, 273–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1910-11). Archaeological Survey, Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1913-14). Archaeological Survey, Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1914-15). Archaeological Survey, Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1917). Archaeological Survey, Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1918-9). Archaeological Survey, Burma: The Lineage of Kyanzittha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Superintendent. (1919). Archaeological Survey, Burma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schepartz, L. A., Miller-Antonio, S., & Bakken, D. A. (2000). Upland resources and the early Palaeolithic occupation of Southern China, Vietnam, Laos Thailand and Burma. World Archaeology, 32(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shwe, S. (2006). The Culture of Vishnu City. In Bacus, L., Glover, I., & Piggott, V. (Eds.). Uncovering Southeast Asia’s Past—selected papers from the Tenth Biennial Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists (September 2004, pp. 271–282). The British Museum, London, Singapore: National University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shwe, S. (2008). The culture of Vishnu old city. PhD disertation: Archaeology Department, University of Yangon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stargardt, J. (1990). The Ancient Pyu of Burma. Cambridge: PACSEA in association with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tacon, P. S. C., Aung, D. Y. Y., & Thorne, A. (2004). Myanmar prehistory: rare rock-markings revealed. In Archaeology of Oceania, 39, 138–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Temple, R. C. 1894(1893). Notes on the Antiquities in Ramannadesa (The Talaing Country of Burma). [Originally published as Notes on the Antiquities in Ramannadesa. Indian Antiquary 22:327–66.] Bombay: The Education Society’s Steam Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thaw, A., Aung, M., Sein Maung, U., & Swe, T. (1993). She Haung Myanmar Myodaw Myar [Ancient Myanmar Cities]. Yangon: Ministry of Information, News and Periodicals Enterprise.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terra, H. D., (1944). Component geographic factors of the natural regions of Burma. Annual Association of American Geographers 34:67–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Win, K. S. (2005). Tagaung hma Pyu A Yo O Myar [Burial Urns from Tagaung]. Yangon: Pan Myo Thityar Cape.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Geok Yian Goh

Authors
  1. Geok Yian Goh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Geok Yian Goh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA

    Junko Habu

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Peter V. Lape

  3. School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    John W. Olsen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Goh, G.Y. (2017). The History and Practice of Archaeology in Myanmar. In: Habu, J., Lape, P., Olsen, J. (eds) Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6521-2_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6521-2_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6519-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6521-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation