Expert: Ralph Salier - 4/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello Ralph,

I am a student of archaeology master program in university of Indonesia. I am interested in doing a Ph.D. in Archaeology specializing in south Asia, particularly Indonesia or India. Can you inform me about University (all over the world) offering programme in ancient arch, especially in south East Asia?

thanks
yaya


ANSWER: Hi Yaya,

This is a difficult request.  For India, the university at Delhi is probably the best but they don't really get into the prehistoric period.  At the present time, there is nothing for south east asia that I am aware of except some work being done in Cambodia on Ankor Wat.  But very little on prehistoric sites.  The Chinese are doing work in this area and several universities have good programs in prehistoric archaeology of China.  

Oxford and Cambridge Universities both have strong Asia programs but very little in the area of prehistoric work.  The university of the Pacific may have a program, it did at one time but I have not heard much about it for several years.  The university of Northern Australia may also have a program and it would focus on early man in the region including the arrival of the Aboriginies to the region.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello ralph,

sorry for asking you some more questions, because apparently  i gave you the wrong clue. I don't have intention in taking prehistoric. I am more interested in  classical archeology in south east Asia. or something related with Sanskrit .

thanks in advance

Answer
Hi Yaya,

I apologise, you had indicated ancient archaeology.  This is a much different situation.  Harvard University in the US along with U C Berkley and U. Chicago in the US have very good programs.  In the UK the School of Oriental and African Studies has an excellent program as do a number of universities in India including U of Mysore and U of Madras.  All have strong programs including Sanskrit studies.