Buddhist Archaeology and the ISEAS Archaeological Unit

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Buddhist Archaeology and the ISEAS Archaeological
Unit

• Buddhism came to Southeast Asia almost 2,000
  years ago. Chinese pilgrims such as Faxian in
  the fifth century and Yijing in the late 7th
  century travelled between China and the holy
  places of Buddhism in northeast India by sea,
  through Southeast Asia. They travelled on
  merchant ships, and stayed in major ports such as
  Srivijaya and Malayu, where they saw large
  monasteries.
• Historical records on early Buddhism in Southeast
  Asia are very scarce. Archaeological materials
  for the study of early Southeast Asian Buddhism
  are much more common, and include huge quantities
  of Buddhist sculpture and architecture from Burma
  (Myanmar), Java, and Sumatra. Singapore in the
  14th century was also a Buddhist kingdom, and was
  an important seaport for a century before the
  foundation of Melaka.

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Borobudur
Nalanda
Xian

• The ISEAS Archaeological Unit will form part of
  the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre.
• Research Projects Early Buddhist sites in
  Myanmar, Indonesia, and Singapore.
• Study of the spread of early Buddhism along
  maritime trade routes.
• The Archaeological Laboratory at NUS .
• Displays on Buddhist archaeology at ISEAS.
• A Modern Buddhist Monument a book on the
  Buddhist Lodge.

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The Malay Annals and the Founding of Singapore
The two widows and the miracle on Bukit Seguntang
Mahameru, Palembang. The young prince Sang Nila
Utama becomes ruler with the title Sri Tri
Buana. Sri Tri Buana goes to Temasek and
founds a city which he names Singapura.
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1825 map of Singapore, depicting the Malay Wall,
probably a 14th-century fortification
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Mahayanika Golayantritasri Gautama Sripada
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Southeast Asia in 430 CE Kedah
inscription, 5th century
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Yijing 635-713 A.D. Travelled over 30 countries
in 20 years collecting over 500,000 Buddhist
verses. Translated 61 scriptures.
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Xian (Chang-an) Big Wild Goose Small Wild Goose
Qing Long Si master and disciple bid farewell
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Nalanda copper-plate, mid-9th century There was
a king of Yavabhumi who was the ornament of the
Sailendra dynasty. He had a son, who possessed
prudence, prowess, and good conduct... He was
the foremost warrior in battle-fields and his
fame was equal to that earned by Yudhishthira,
Parasara, Bhisena, and Arjuna. Tara was the
queen consort of that king, the illustrious
Balaputra. With the mind attracted by the
manifold excellences of Nalanda and through
devotion to the son of Suddhodana (i.e. the
Buddha) and having realised that riches are
fickle like the waves of a mountain stream, he
built there a monastery which was the abode of
the assembly of monks of various good qualities
and was white with the series of stuccoed and
lofty dwellings.
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Palembang
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Bukit Seguntang ancient Buddhist centre
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Padmapani from Nalanda, 9th century
Avalokitesvara
Palembang
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Statues From Palembang Maitreya (shown in
ACM), Dipankara
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Solok Sipin makara AD1064
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Makara from St. Pauls Hill, Melaka
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2005 survey, Sponsored by Orchard Marine Singapore
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Muara Jambi
Candi Gudang Garam
Candi Kembar Batu
Candi Tinggi
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Candi Gumpung
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Intan Shipwreck, ca 930
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Kota Cina
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Kota Cina, North Sumatra
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Coexistence of Buddhists, Vaisnavite, Saivite
worshippers Kota Cina, north Sumatra, 12th
century
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Angkor, 12th century
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Bayon ship relief, possibly late 12th century
Chinese Junk?
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The Chinese House relief
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Chinese Ceramic Finds at Angkor
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The Travels of Ser Marco Polo
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Dieng Plateau
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Trowulan
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Shamatara
Tribhuwanatunggadewi
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Prajnaparamita
Manjusri
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Amoghapasha
Bhairawa
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Alopyi Hpaya
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Temple 147 Thakyamuni Hpaya
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GOALS

• Online repository of digital images of murals
  of 11th- through 13th-century Bagan temples for
  both educators and researchers
• Web-based 3-D Virtual Ancient Bagan for
  educational and research purposes