MIRI: The International Conference on Archaeology (ICA) 2019 here will see experts presenting the latest research in the archaeological field within Malaysia and on the international level in promoting ‘archaeotourism’.
The theme of this year’s ICA is “Promoting Archaeology as Heritage Tourism” and it is held at Pullman Miri Waterfront here, from tomorrow until Saturday.
The first two days of the conference will cover enlightening talks by numerous speakers from Australia, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, France, Philippines, and Malaysia.
Presentations by speakers are categorised in sessions such as ‘Archaeology and Tourism’, ‘Regional Archaeology Research’, ‘Archaeology Contributions Towards Heritage’, ‘Underwater Archaeology’, and ‘Rock Art Research’.
On the final day of ICA 2019, delegates and participants will get a chance to explore Niah Cave, a renowned archaeological site with a rich history.
In his message for the event, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg pointed out that Sarawak is well-known in the world of archaeology thanks to discoveries such as the ‘Deep Skull’, which was unearthed at the West Mouth of the Niah Great Cave by Barbara Harrisson and her colleagues on February 7, 1958.
“The ancient human remains of the young adult female is proof of the presence of the earliest Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia.
“The discovery of the 40,000-year-old human skull in the Niah Cave has effectively put Sarawak on the world paleo-anthropological map,” remarked Abang Johari in his message.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in his message also highlighted that Sarawak has received many research applications, both local and international, to conduct studies related to the Niah cave systems and its material culture.
“The state considers sustainable heritage tourism as being of great importance and to ensure this, effective management and preservation of heritage resources are imperative,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari believed that Sarawak’s journey of embracing the digitalisation of all sectors including data gathering, storage, retrieval and dissemination of archaeological studies would improve accessibility while increasing accuracy of research findings.
