MIRI: The usage of advanced technologies in archaeological studies has dramatically improved the accessibility of data collection, increased flexibility in documentation work, enabled digitisation of data, and increased the accuracy of findings. This was mentioned in Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s speech text delivered by Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the opening of the International Conference on Archaeology (ICA) at Pullman Miri Waterfront here, yesterday. “We are also looking into various strategies and initiatives in order to boost our tourism industry and one of the ways to do this is to invest in digital tourism.”
He added that the state was also keen to introduce historical locales, often found in remote areas, to broadcast them to the outside world. This, he reasoned, was why upgrades were being done to provide necessary physical and digital infrastructures at tourism destinations to accommodate visitors. However, striking a balance was vital and he stated, “While heritage tourism brings positive and rewarding economic impacts, it is imperative to have proper and feasible resource management for it to be sustainable.
“This invaluable historical and cultural heritage tells us about past human activities which reflects a nation’s civilisation. Thus, protection and preservation of these assets are a priority and Sarawak is committed to this,” he said. He also revealed Sarawak was well-known for a variety of reasons.From the archaeological and historical viewpoint, the state’s Niah Caves were highly significant and had attracted the attention of many.
“The Niah Caves have become the world’s best known homes to primitive humans and is now a household name in the research world after the discovery of the Niah ‘Deep Skull’ back in 1958.
“Archaeologists, anthropologists, and other researchers alike have looked upon Niah as a place with high archaeological significance,” he said, adding that several ongoing research projects in the recent years had led to numerous discoveries and new findings.
He added that the ‘Deep Skull’, believed to belong to an adolescent male, has now been identified to be of a young female adult. The 40,000-year-old skull was unearthed at the West Mouth of Niah’s Great Cave by Barbara Harrisson and her colleagues in 1958. These ancient human remains are evidence of the earliest Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia. “New research findings from the Trader’s Cave have established that human activities have existed here since 65,000 years ago,” said Abang Johari. A total of 200 participants are attending the event, and Abang Johari commended the conference as an effective platform for exchanging knowledge, keeping updated on the latest developments, as well as detailing issues in the world of archaeology.
The conference features 18 speakers from seven countries, namely Australia, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, France, Philippines, and Malaysia. Through this event, Abang Johari expressed hope that archaeo-tourism, a form of cultural tourism that aims to promote public interest in archaeology and the conservation of historical sites, would be promoted and cultivated.
He also encouraged collaborations between relevant parties to boost contribution to invaluable educational matters and create economic possibilities that would benefit everyone, especially the people of Sarawak.
During the opening ceremony, two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were also signed between the Sarawak Museum Department (SMD), Griffith University Australia and the French School of Asian Studies. Also present were the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture deputy secretary-general (culture) Saraya Arbi, National Department for Culture and Arts deputy director general (arts and culture) Mesran Mohd Yusop, State Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Sebastian Ting, permanent secretary to the State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Hii Chang Kee, and SMD acting director Suria Bujang.
