The University of Yangon initiated the Department of Archaeology on 1 July 1994. There was one head of the Department assisted by a staff of two Lecturers, two assistant Lecturers and three Tutors. All of them were recruited from the History Department. They had some knowledge of Prehistory and Protohistory but knew very little of archaeology and anthropology. The Department therefore had to depend largely on the Archaeology Department of the Ministry of Culture and on UY’s Geology, Geography, History, Law, Anthropology and Oriental Studies Departments and also on retired personnel of the Yangon Institute of Technology to teach:
1. Field Archaeology
2. Preservation, Conservation and Restoration of Monuments
3. Preservation and Conservation of structures and materials
4. Prehistoric Archaeology (Stone, Bronze and Iron Age)
5. Protohistoric Archaeology (especially in Pyu Period)
6. Buddhist Art and Architecture (Pyu and Bagan Period)
7. Colonial Period Structures
8. Environmental Archaeology
9. Antiquarian Law
10. Museology and
11. Cultural Heritage Management
The above subjects are very important in Myanmar’s Archaeology today.
Detailed History: Archaeology Department staff want to become fully qualified teachers of the department but several factors hamper this development. Among them are: lack of foreign degrees, lack of up to date knowledge, books and journals, the absence of modern scientific facilities and little familiarity with modern practical methodology for field research. Faculty members’ weakness in the English language is an additional major stumbling block.
Visiting Professor Programme
The Open Society Foundation offered to fund an upgrade of our Education with a Visiting Professor Programme in early 2012. We chose six Visiting Professors to instruct us in Field Archaeology, Conservation and Restoration of Monuments, Protohistoric Archaeology (especially in Pyu Period), Buddhist Art and Architecture (Pyu and Bagan Periods), Colonial Period Structures and Cultural Heritage Management, in the Academic Year 2012-2013. We benefited greatly from the Open Society Foundations’ support, in the following areas:
1. Teaching Methods: using power point presentation and reference books for all lectures; the importance of the lecturer and students discussing issues openly together after a lecture; encouraging critical and conceptual thinking about archaeological practice and research.
2. Research Methodology: an in-depth understanding of approaches to the collection, analysis and interpretation of archaeological data to support detailed study at the forefront of archaeological knowledge.
3. Field Training: practical methodology in Field Archaeology. We developed critical faculties in discussion, debate and evaluation of alternative perspectives on and interpretations of archaeological data in the field.
The Visiting Professor programme strengthened the professional capacities of faculty members. Faculty members would now like to study abroad in other Universities to do joint research work, to attend conferences and workshops. Students and Staff Exchange programmes are also needed in our Department; we need training in practical methodology, research methodology and teaching methodology, how to manage our Cultural Heritage and how to design the Curriculum.
Current Situation
Our department currently has twenty-two faculty members: one Professor, two Associate Professors, ten Lecturers, seven Assistant Lecturers and two Tutors.
All Faculty members of the Archaeology Department now have a Master’s Degree or PhD degree in Archaeology. There is also an effort to ensure the availability of a good library on subjects broadly related to archaeology, and a small laboratory to identify the artifacts unearthed in excavations. We feel that we need some training for preservation and conservation of the Museum’s materials.
We have collected a fairly large number of potsherds, finger marked bricks and baked bricks with paddy husk in them. There is also pottery of various types, styles and usage. Clay pipes are found in the thousands. We need people who are trained in Thermo luminescence dating. Human skeletons were unearthed from archaeological sites and they need to be radiocarbon dated. Some of us should be trained to do that. Dendrochronology, pollen and fauna analysis are also specialized subjects in which we need training.
We have an ambition to maintain a Museum of Archaeology in the Department and we need some training in Museology. The department has a small Museum that is in its initial stages. What we want is a fairly good-sized Museum that would help us in identifying the artifacts that we have collected from archaeological sites. They could be used as teaching resources. They need to be identified by the technique used to manufacture them. After having done these preliminary studies, we have to do some preservation and conservation. We feel that we need some training for preservation and conservation of these artifacts and how to display and how to catalogue these artifacts in the Museum.
Currently our museum is a storeroom for the existing collection. Each year, students add to the collection through objects found during excavations. The collection has minimal documentation and as such is of little use as a teaching resource. Our aim for a collaboration project involving staff and student participation in international best practice documentation processes is to develop a standardized documentation regime, and a suitable display format. Museum display techniques and basic training in museology would be delivered through participatory workshops.
Preliminary discussions were held with the Australian National University (ANU) in March 2015 for the development of a Museum of Archaeology at the University of Yangon. ANU agreed to support the proposal.
In conclusion, faculty members know something about archaeological subjects but need further in-depth training in some areas. The Department of Archaeology needs long term assistance from, and exposure to, international Universities.
We aim to reach an Asian Universities’ standard level after four or five years. The final goal will be a Western Universities’ standard after ten years. We still have a long way to go to become a world-class institution to provide the knowledge and understanding that the deep, long and unique history of Myanmar deserves.
Dr. Ye’ Tun Lecturer
Dr Kalayar Myat Myat Htwe Professor
Dr Pyiet Phyo Kyaw Professor
U Zahit Hussein Associate Professor
Daw Tin Myat Latt Associate Professor
U Soe Min Aung Lecturer
Dr Thin Yu Naing Lecturer
Dr Nwe Nwe Moe Lecturer
Dr Hnin Aye Phyo Tutor
Daw Win Pa Pa Lwin Tutor
Daw Pan Ei Khaing Soe Tutor
Daw Khin Nyein Chan Thaw Tutor
Daw Kay Khine Wint Tutor
– Arts Hall, UY (March 2014) Three UY staff and two post graduate students participated
– Archaeology Department Museum, UY (2015, 2016 and 2017)
Staff and postgraduate students from the Archaeology Departments of Yangon and Dagon universities participated
– Started in 2015; 1 staff member participated
– Bagan Archaeological Museum (January 2016)
– Bagan Archaeological Museum (May 2016)
– Bagan Archaeological Museum (December 2016)
– Bagan Archaeological Museum (March 2017)
Eight undergraduate students participated
– Badahlin Cave (excavation) (February 2016)
– Chauk Oil Field (excavation)(June 2016)
– Dawei area (excavation)(November 2017)
Two members of staff participated
– Kaw Tar, Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State (February 2016)
– Kaw Tar, Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State (February 2017)
– Kaw Tar, Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State (February 2018)
(participated in one staff one postgrad student)
– Hat Yai City (July 2016)
(participated in two undergrad students)
– Inle Lake (traditional lotus weaving) (August-December 2016)
Two staff members and four undergraduate students participated
Visiting Professors with Open Society Foundations’ support
– Maritime Archaeology in Florida, United States of America
– Archaeology Department, UY (November 2016)
Staff from the Archaeology Department of Yangon and Dagon Universities and postgraduate students)
– on the classification of Myanmar Mural Styles (Nyaungyan and Konbaung styles)
– Thirteen lectures (12 December 2016 to 13 March 2017)
Staff from the Archaeology Department of Yangon and Dagon Universities and postgraduate students
– Buddhist Philosophy in Myanmar (Bagan Period)
– Archaeology Department, UY (December 2016)
Staff from the Archaeology Department of Yangon and Dagon Universities and postgraduate students
– Archaeology Department, UY (March 2017)
– Archaeology Department, UY and Sri ksetra (June 2017)
One staff member and ten undergraduate students participated)
1. Prehistoric Archaeology
2. Protohistoric Archaeology
3. Historical Archaeology
4. Colonial Period Archaeology
5. Environmental Archaeology
6. Cultural Heritage Management
(Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science (MAAS), Archaeology Unit ( ISEAS, National University of Singapore), Archaeology Department of Yangon University and Myanmar Ceramic Society (MCS)
– Arts Hall, UY (March 2014)
(participated in three staff and two post grade students)
(Australian National University) Dr. Charlotte Galloway
– Archaeology Department Museum, UY (2015, 2016 and 2017))
(participated in staff from Archaeology Department of Yangon and Dagon and postgrad students)
MA
First Semester
MA
Second Year
Phd
Diploma
