A Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Archaeological Research on Quan Lạn Island, Bai Tu Long Bay, Northern Vietnam
In April of 2019, the Anthropological Studies Center (ASC), at SSU, joined with the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, the Quảng Ninh Museum, and Heritage Detection Australia (HDA), to take part in the Vietnam Maritime Archaeology Project (VMAP). The objectives were: 1) to train VMAP team members in the use of specialized equipment for archaeology, such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and Metal Detecting (MD); 2) to explore a number of different archaeological sites and contexts on Quan Lạn Island, that represent more than 8,000 years of occupation; 3) to conduct preliminary excavations at the Dong Choi site, a Late Neolithic, Hạ Long Period cemetery, which dates to between 5,000 and 3,000 years ago, and; 4) to build a long-term collaborative partnership between the SSU/ASC and research agencies in Vietnam and Australia, which would create projects for students of Cultural Heritage at SSU. This presentation summarizes that effort.