HUMAN ADAPTATION TO COASTAL EVOLUTION: LATE QUATERNARY EVIDENCE FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA (SUNDASIA) - A REPORT ON THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PROJECT

SUNDASIA’s third annual reportcovers the final phase of planned project field work. As such it is appropriate here to affirm that field activities undertaken by the project have been in compliance with regulations laid out in Section VII.1.1 of the Tràng An Management Plan: Management objectives, policies and actions: Protection of cultural heritage: Pre-historic archaeological sites, resources and artefacts. The project has made remote-sensing a core component of its fieldwork through the use of Ground-Penetrating Radar and aerial SUAV surveys. The extent of excavations has been limited to ensure the preservation of archaeological resources in-situ (VII.1.1.5). International collaboration between Vietnamese and UK members has been central to the effective delivery of this research project and attainment of its objectives (VII.1.1.6). There has been considerable opportunity for knowledge exchange and training through the close involvement of staff from the Tràng An Management Board, the Ninh Binh Provincial Museum, Vietnamese doctoral and undergraduate students in all aspects of the project’s field data collection, as well as processing, curation and publication (VII.1.1.7 & VII.1.13). In addition to reports being submitted to the Tràng An Management Board at the end of each field season (themselves now constituting a detailed resource and archive of all project activities, totalling nearly 200 pages), comprehensive annual reports such as this have been prepared for publication. All published material is accessible via the www.sundasia.com project website (VII.1.1.8). All archaeological trenches located in sites excavated by the project since Sept. 2016 - i.e. Hang Ang Noi, Hang Hanh, Thung Binh 1 and Hang Moi - were lined and backfilled at the conclusion of work. Excavation spoil was used in this process. In one instance backfilling also included the reburial of human skeletal remains (VII.1.1.10). The Project has committed resources and attention to the conservation and curation of excavated finds and data. This has included the creation of a digital data repository (the Tràng An Web-based GIS database) and provision of climate-controlled storage cases for the excavated human skeletal remains from Thung Binh 1 and Hang Moi (VII.1.1.11). In addition to regular local and national television (and newspaper) interviews by project members, in collaboration with the Tràng An Management Board and the Xuan Truong Enterprise, SUNDASIA is also contributing content for public display within Tràng An; the centre-piece of which will be a forensic facial reconstruction of the Thung Binh 1 individual (VII.1.1.12). Finally, all fieldwork has been undertaken at the written invitation of the Tràng An Management Board and relevant permission-granting bodies (notably, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Archaeology, and the Vietnamese Immigration Authority), with a full schedule of planned activities provided ahead of departure into the field (VII.1.14).

(Ryan Rabett and et al)