Advancing the archaeology of Southeast Asia.

    A nonprofit research institute supporting fieldwork, publications, and open archaeological databases — and the next generation of scholars studying the region.

    Explore the Research


    Developing digital resources.


    Create and provide access to databases including of bibliographic references, metal finds, human skeletons, ethnobotanical specimens, and more.

    Explore our Databases


    Building capacity.


    Train indigenous heritage managers in modern archaeological methods to enhance their skill sets for preserving heritage resources in the region.

    Explore a Training


    Exploring the early settlement of the Middle Mekong region.


    Conduct science-based archaeological research in Laos and northeast Thailand.

    See our Work in Laos

    Curating Collections


    Sustainably house and organize artifacts, specimens, and other objects to enable their long term care and contributions to knowledge.

    A Curated Collection

    Supporting the next generation of scholars.

    Through awards, training, and open resources, we help early-career researchers carry the field forward.

    Get Involved

ISEAA is dedicated to the multi-disciplinary investigation of Southeast Asia’s archaeological past in order to advance that knowledge for the benefit of both scholars and the public.

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Explore Our Principal Research Initiatives

The Ban Chiang Project

Decades of research on the UNESCO World Heritage site that reshaped understanding of early metallurgy and settlement in Southeast Asia.

Middle Mekong Archaeological Project

Fieldwork along the Mekong in Laos, investigating the region’s prehistoric communities and their place in Southeast Asian deep history.

Digital Resources

Open-access databases — bibliographic, ethnobotanical, skeletal, metals, and vocabulary — supporting researchers and students worldwide.

Service & Scholarship

Programs, Publications and Community

online Bibliography

A searchable, continually updated record of scholarship in Southeast Asian archaeology. Browse thousands of citations spanning excavation reports, journal articles, and monographs to support your research.

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Our Community

ISEAA connects archaeologists, students, and institutions across the region in a network built on shared research and fieldwork.

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Early Career Award

Recognizing outstanding work by emerging scholars in Southeast Asian archaeology. The award supports the next generation of researchers through funding and professional visibility.

view past awards

Operation Antiquity

Our expertise enabled this landmark federal smuggling case to expose practices at American Museums that promoted looting of archaeological sites. Learn how ISEAA has worked to safeguard sites and combat loss of cultural materials.

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Luang Prabang Center for Research

ISEAA is developing a center for archaeological and scientific research in Luang Prabang, Laos, with land purchased and building plans underway.

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Publications + Databases

Access ISEAAs published works and data sets on one place. A central hub of the data and scholarship helping to drive the field forward.

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ISEAA by the Numbers

# of Followers
# of references
open Databases

ISEAA News

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Join our community

Our Facebook feed is a service to the discipline — a steady stream of new publications from scholars across Southeast Asian archaeology, curated so you never miss relevant work. Join 14,000 followers who rely on it to stay current.

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Support the future of Southeast Asian archaeology

Your gift sustains fieldwork, open-access research, and the next generation of scholars documenting the region’s deep past.

Donate to ISEAA

Collaborating institutions for ISEAA, MMAP, and the Ban Chiang Project have included, among others:

  • Penn Museum
  • Mahidol University
  • Department of Heritage and Fine Arts, Laos
  • University of Otago
  • Udon Thani City Museum
  • University of Hawaii
  • Fine Arts Department of Thailand
  • Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
  • University of California Irvine
  • University College Dublin
  • William Patterson University
  • University College London
  • Academy of Natural Sciences

FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS HAVE INCLUDED:

  • The Henry Luce Foundation
  • Penn Museum
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • National Geographic Society
  • National Science Foundation
  • Friends of Ban Chiang
  • Donors to ISEAA
  • American Philosophical Society
  • Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC
  • University College Dublin
  • Mahidol University