This volume comprises papers presented at the EurASEAA14 conference in 2012, updated for publication. It focuses on topics under the broad themes of archaeology and heritage, material culture, environmental archaeology, osteoarchaeology, historic and prehistoric archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and long-distance contact, trade and exchange.

The Angkorian World explores the history of Southeast Asia’s largest ancient state from the first to mid-second millennium CE. Chapters by leading scholars combine evidence from archaeology, texts, and the natural sciences to introduce the Angkorian state, describe its structure, and explain its persistence over more than six centuries. Comprehensive and accessible, this book will be an indispensable resource for anyone studying premodern Asia. The volume’s first of six sections provides historical and environmental contexts and discusses data sources and the nature of knowledge production. The next three sections examine the anthropogenic landscapes of Angkor (agrarian, urban, and hydraulic), the state institutions that shaped the Angkorian state, and the economic foundations on which Angkor operated. Part V explores Angkorian ideologies and realities, from religion and nation to identity. The volume’s last part reviews political and aesthetic Angkorian legacies in an effort to explain why the idea of Angkor remains central to its Cambodian descendants. Maps, graphics, and photographs guide readers through the content of each chapter. Chapters in this volume synthesise more than a century of work at Angkor and in the regions it influenced. The Angkorian World will satisfy students, researchers, academics, and the knowledgeable layperson who seeks to understand how this great Angkorian Empire arose and functioned in the premodern world. The Prologue and Chapters 2, 10, 15, 23, 30 and 32 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Introduction The Sarawak Police Band of Malaysia is a revered musical institution that has captivated audiences and made significant contributions to the country’s cultural landscape (Hendricks et al., 2016). In this captivating introductory chapter, we embark on a fascinating journey to explore the origins and formation of the Sarawak Police Band. We uncover the factors that led to its inception and trace its early steps, weaving a tale that intertwines music, culture, and the commitment to excellence. Our exploration takes us on a chronological analysis of the band’s evolution and development over the years. We delve into the remarkable changes in its instrumentation, performance methods, and musical styles, immersing ourselves in the band’s transformative journey. Additionally, we explore the band’s pedagogical initiatives and its partnerships with educational institutions. We shed light on the training and development programs that have shaped its members into exceptional musicians, elevating the ensemble to new heights.Through this chapter, our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Police Band’s rich history. We illuminate the pivotal moments and transformations that have molded it into the esteemed ensemble it is today. Join us as we embark on this captivating journey through time and discover the fascinating story of the Police Band—a tale that encompasses the power of music, the beauty of culture, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Main chapter in this book :- A. The band’s Sarawak development and growth over time since 1888 B. The evolution of musical performances and genres. c. Band members’ education and growth

This volume comprises papers originally presented at the EurASEAA14 conference in 2012, updated for publication. It focuses on topics under the broad themes of archaeology and art history, epigraphy, philology, historic archaeology, ethnography, ethnoarchaeology, ethnomusicology, materials studies, and long-distance trade and exchange.

This volume presents the most wide-ranging treatment available today of the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Southeast Asia and their outliers, a group of more than 800 languages belonging to the wider Austronesian family. It brings together leading scholars and junior researchers to offer a comprehensive account of the historical relations, typological diversity, and varied sociolinguistic issues that characterize this group of languages, including current debates in their prehistories and descriptive priorities for future study. The book is divided into four parts. Part I deals with historical linguistics, including discussion of human genetics, archaeology, and cultural history. Chapters in Part II explore language contact between Malayo-Polynesian and unrelated languages, as well as sociolinguistic issues such as multilingualism, language policy, and language endangerment. Part III provides detailed overviews of the different groupings of Malayo-Polynesian languages, while Part IV offers in-depth studies of important typological features across the whole linguistic area. The Oxford Guide to the Malayo-Polynesian Languages of Southeast Asia will be an essential reference for students and researchers specializing in Austronesian languages and for typologists and comparative linguists more broadly.

There exist numerous free-standing figurative sculptures produced in Java between the eighth and fifteenth centuries whose dress display detailed textile patterns. This surviving body of sculpture, carved in stone and cast in metal, varying in both size and condition, remains in archaeological sites and museums in Indonesia and worldwide. The equatorial climate of Java has precluded any textiles from this period surviving. Therefore this book argues the textiles represented on these sculptures offer a unique insight into the patterned splendour of the textiles in circulation during this period. This volume contributes to our knowledge of the textiles in circulation at that time by including the first comprehensive record of this body of sculpture, together with the textile patterns classified into a typology of styles within each chapter.

Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia are centers for the preservation of local artistic traditions. Chief among these are manuscripts, a vital source for our understanding of Buddhist ideas and practices in the region. They are also a beautiful art form, too little understood in the West. The British Library has one of the richest collections of Southeast Asian manuscripts, principally from Thailand and Burma, anywhere in the world. It includes finely painted copies of Buddhist scriptures, literary works, historical narratives, and works on traditional medicine, law, cosmology, and fortune-telling. Buddhism Illuminated includes over one hundred examples of Buddhist art from the Library’s collection, relating each manuscript to Theravada tradition and beliefs, and introducing the historical, artistic, and religious contexts of their production. It is the first book in English to showcase the beauty and variety of Buddhist manuscript art and reproduces many works that have never before been photographed.