Journey to The Centre of The World: Introduction to Spice Island Archaeology
Journey to The Centre of The World: Introduction to Spice Island Archaeology
Date & Time: Wednesday, 15 December 2021, 10.00 am to 11.30am Singapore Time (14 December, 4:00pm to 5:30pm HST)
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About the Webinar
The Spice Islands, located in Eastern Indonesia, were once a key destination for traders. The prices of spices escalated in the early 13th century in response to demand from the global market, triggering competition between nations to monopolise this commodity. The Spice Islands and spice route cannot be separated from the Nusantara people. The role of the Nusantara people in producing spices and advancing shipbuilding technology shaped the way in which this commodity entered the global market. Conversely, the local presence of international traders shaped the cultural development from which the identity of the Indonesian nation arose. Ultimately, the spice route was more than a maritime trade route, but also a series of cultural, ideological, and even religious exchanges. This presentation will provide an overview of the spice route and how the local community played a role in managing the spices that were in global demand, as well as their socio-cultural and political impact based on archaeological finds.
About the Speaker
Mr Shinatria Adhityatama graduated from Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia) in 2012 with a BA in Archaeology. He was a maritime archaeologist at the Indonesian National Research Centre for Archaeology (PUSLIT ARKENAS) in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 2013-2021; and is currently a PhD candidate at the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Australia. He has managed large programmes related to maritime archaeology, prehistoric archaeology, and archaeology training in Indonesia and Australia since 2008. Shinatria has published widely in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Quaternary Science Reviews, Journal of Nautical Archaeology (IJNA), Journal of Maritime Archaeology, and Science Advances. He was part of the Indonesian delegation in the Joint Expert Meeting which managed the loss of historic ships in Indonesian waters.
An ISEAS Webinar by Temasek History Research Centre ARCHAEOLOGY AND ART HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIA PROGRAMME WEBINAR SERIES