Abstract

The Bujang Valley offers compelling evidence of early complex societies in the Malay Peninsula, the emergence of which was the result of centuries of evolving power configurations, cultural exchanges, and regional interactions. Recent excavations at key sites such as Sungai Batu, Sungai Mas, Pengkalan Bujang, and, most recently, Bukit Choras continue reshaping our understanding of Ancient Kedah’s sociopolitical, cultural, and economic landscape, in context of its regional connectivity with other economic and cultural hubs. These sites have yielded material remains attesting to longstanding traditions of local production, long-distance trade, cultural exchange, and fluid political systems. Historical sources, including early Indian and Arab records, further illuminate Ancient Kedah’s geostrategic importance and its enduring engagement with regional and global powers. This talk will explore how archaeological and documentary evidence support an interpretation of Ancient Kedah as a dynamic and multicultural polity, one that was deeply interconnected with India, China, and the wider Indian Oceanic World. Special attention will be given to the latest findings at Bukit Choras, which provide new insights into religious and settlement patterns in the Valley’s northern frontier. By reframing Malaysia’s early history through the lenses of trade and diplomacy, this lecture highlights Ancient Kedah’s role as a nexus of transregional interaction. It also invites reflection on how this legacy of openness and multilateral connectivity resonates with Malaysia’s modern identity and international outlook.

Speaker

Associate Professor Dr Nasha bin Rodziadi Khaw is a lecturer at and deputy director of the Centre for Global Archaeological Research, USM. He specialises in historical archaeology, epigraphy, and paleography. His research focuses on early historical coastal and riverine polities of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, with a particular interest in early state formation, transregional connectivity, and the use of material and textual evidence for interpreting the past. Associate Professor Nasha currently leads the Bukit Choras Archaeological Project in the Bujang Valley, one of the region’s most significant early historic sites, where ongoing excavations are shedding new light on the religious landscape, settlement patterns, and regional interactions of Ancient Kedah.

Nasha Rodziadi Khaw – Universiti Sains Malaysia