Professor John Miksic interviewed in “Becoming Singapore”

Professor John Miksic interviewed in “Becoming Singapore”

February 4, 2019
iStock/CharlieTong
In line with the ongoing Singapore Bicentennial, Professor John Miksic (Department of Southeast Asian Studies) was recently interviewed in Episode 1 of “Becoming Singapore”, where he shared the significance of his archaeological work at Fort Canning Hill. The 2 episode series explores Singapore’s forgotten past tracing back hundreds of years. It also dispels the myth that the 1819 arrival of Raffles in Singapore was the starting point of Singapore’s history where it was subsequently transformed from a backwater fishing village into a modern trading hub.
 
Prof Miksic’s excavation efforts at Fort Canning Hill date back to 1984 and key artefacts found over the years include gold items and glass ornaments from the 14th century. According to Prof Miksic, the presence of these relics indicates “highly sophisticated technology”, which was rare at that point of time, and the existence of highly skilled craftsmen who lived at Fort Canning Hill. He also cites a 14th century Chinese source which implies that a multi-ethnic group may have already been living on the hill since the 14th century.
 
These diverse strands of history gathered from archaeological efforts paint a very different picture of Singapore before 1819 than commonly thought. Prof Miksic believes that the Singaporean nation will grow stronger with the knowledge of a deeper heritage before the colonial era. Finally, he remarks on the uniqueness of Singapore’s hybrid society, which existed centuries ago through the settlement of people of different origins and talents.