The Rojak #71: The Museum of Sin and Great Damage to the Great Wall

A monthly roundup of things that aren't related to Southeast Asia or Archaeology, but kinda are

Hello from Bangkok where it has also been one of those days. As I am writing this, the rain storms have hit the city as predicted, causing floods and chaos in the streets during the evening rush hour. At the same time, a shooting incident in one of the major malls in Bangkok has also caught the city off-guard - involving a 14-year-old gunman with at least two deaths of two tourists and others injured. The incident also shut down a major rapid transit intersection which has made the traffic situation that much worse. Definitely a bad day for Bangkokians.

In this October edition of the Rojak, we explore a collection of articles that are not related to the archaeology of Southeast Asia, but kinda are, including: the cultural significance of heritage foods in Malaysia, the art of stitched shipbuilding in India, and the ongoing struggle to balance tourism and cultural respect in Bali. We'll look at how modern development threatens World Heritage sites, both in Thailand and China, and delve into the complex interplay of religion and politics in Myanmar. From the ethical debates surrounding underwater archaeology in Portugal to the ancient woodworking techniques discovered in Zambia, these stories remind us of the interconnectedness of human heritage and the challenges we face in its preservation.

The Rojak is a bonus newsletter for the members on Substack and supporters from Buy Me a Coffee. It is named after an exotic salad found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Thank you for reading, and no walls were damaged (by me!) in the making of this newsletter.

• Archaeological Context vs Material Value: The looting of the frigate "La Mercedes" to the south of Portugal discusses the threat posed by treasure hunters to underwater archaeological heritage. It emphasizes the importance of archaeological context over material value and highlights the high costs associated with underwater archaeology conservation​. This is a debate that is familiar in Southeast Asia, most recently with the case of the Belitung. You can read my review of Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck here.