Convenors: Moumita Dhar (India), Ahmed Lotfy (Egypt), Ganga Rajaniee Dissanayaka (Sri Lanka), Vysakh Ambili Santhosh (India), R.S. Fonia (India) and Amarjiva Lochan (India)
Asia, with its immense geographic and cultural diversity, provides invaluable insights into the evolution of human societies, from early palaeolithic groups to complex contemporary civilisations. Despite cultural vividness, a shared element is a profound historical legacy that stretches back to ancient times. As the birthplace of some of the world’s earliest civilisations, Asia boasts a wealth of archaeological evidence—from the Indus Valley in South Asia and the great civilisation of China to the ancient kingdoms of Japan, Korea and the great nations in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, many Indigenous cultures in Asia continue to practice age-old traditions, offering critical evidence for understanding human evolution and societal formation. Most Asian cultures retain ancient practices as living traditions, with religion and rituals playing pivotal roles in their histories, such as oral traditions, music, dance, adornment, textile, medicinal practices etc.
During colonial times, numerous institutions were established to study Asian history, most of the works were done by foreigners in foreign languages, and importance was given to the visual tangible remains. Following the end of colonial rule, individual nations began to undertake their own archaeological and historical research, leading to significant advancements in the field. The development of archaeology and related disciplines has added new dimensions to our understanding of Asia’s past. Museums, archives, libraries, and other cultural organisations have emerged as vital centres for the preservation and promotion of Asian heritage in global context. Additionally, recent advancements in digital technologies have transformed conservation and documentation methods. This theme will explore various aspects of Asian cultures through the perspectives of archaeology and its allied disciplines. This theme expects to discuss new discoveries, new interpretations challenging old theories, interdisciplinary research on tangible-intangible heritage, recent advancements in the heritage field, along with the contribution of museums and other cultural organisations for archaeological studies in Asia.
Contacts:
Ms Moumita Dhar
Assistant Curator, National Museum, New Delhi, India
curatormoumita@gmail.com
Dr Ahmed Lotfy
Heritage Officer, Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, Egypt
lotfyspirit33@gmail.com
Dr Ganga Rajaniee Dissanayaka
Visiting lecturer, University of Visual and Performing Arts and the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
gangarajinee@gmail.com
Dr Vysakh Ambili Santhosh
Asst Professor, SN College Chempazhan, Kerala, India
padmasreevysh@gmail.com
Dr R S Fonia
Former Additional Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, India
rsfonia@gmail.com
Prof. Amarjiva Lochan
Dept of History, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
amarjiva@history.du.ac.in
THEME 20 SESSIONS
T20/Session 02: Changing Faces of Asian Cultures: Manners, Meditation and Music
T20/Session 03: Sacred Echoes: Exploring Asia’s Sacred Beliefs through Tangible Remains and Intangible Practices [This session is now closed]
T20/Session 06: Historical Archaeology of South Asia: Urbanisation, Trade, Cultural Interactions and Syncretism [This session is now closed]
T20/Session 07: Reflections of Peoples Minds: Creative Aptitude to Utilitarian Concepts of Survival