Protohistoric and Early Historic Exchange in the Eastern Indian Ocean: A Re-evaluation of Current Paradigms

Abstract

Extensive archaeological research on late prehistoric to early historic sites of Southeast Asia has brought about a significant evolution in the models used to describe the relationship between the two shores of the Bay of Bengal during the six or seven centuries preceding the so-called Indianisation of Southeast Asia. As seen from Southeast Asia, the early circulation of local trade goods, the presence of Indian goods in a variety of sites, the prompt appearance of (proto-)urban sites, the development of sophisticated shipbuilding and sailing technologies and the role of local merchants and shipmasters all point towards the complexity of the process shaping this extensive zone of cultural convergence and to a significant measure of entrepreneurship from the Southeast Asian side of the Bay of Bengal. This paper will summarise this newly available data and will try to show how it affects our global comprehension of the history of the Indian Ocean.