Veronica Walker-Vadillo | University of Helsinki (original) (raw)

Papers by Veronica Walker-Vadillo

Suomen antropologi, Oct 7, 2023

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Delivering the Deep. Maritime Archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA 7, 2024

In this chapter we contextualize the genesis of the book and offer an overview of how maritime ar... more In this chapter we contextualize the genesis of the book and offer an overview of how maritime archaeology has evolved over the decades.

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suomen antropologi, 2023

The historiography of maritime archaeology is one of margins and peripheries. Linked to the devel... more The historiography of maritime archaeology is one of margins and peripheries. Linked to the development of underwater archaeology, efforts to advance theoretical frameworks within the discipline have been slow at best. There remains a widespread assumption—even among archaeologists—that maritime archaeology deals mostly with shipwrecks and underwater sites, and as such, has little to contribute to broader debates in archaeology. Archaeology remains a terrestrial affair that rarely engages with water worlds, and when it does, it retains its feet firmly on ground. So what do a land archaeologist and an economist have to offer to the world of maritime archaeology?

In spite of its terrestrial focus, The Dawn of Everything speaks to a number of recurring issues in maritime archaeology, where scholars worry about the relationship between terrestrial states and maritime worlds. Such concerns are central to the very constitution of maritime societies: are they hierarchical or heterarchical; are they the same as, or different from the wider societies in which they sit? In the maritime discourse, environmental determinism takes a greater role than Graeber and Wengrow would admit in their book. Graeber and Wengrow’s interest in fluid societies that have the capacity to construct and deconstruct themselves seasonally find their best laboratory in maritime cultural worlds. Both the ancient past and the ethnographic present provide us with an opportunity to understand the contingency of power and decision-making, all within the framework of a seasonal environmental landscape. If nothing else, The Dawn of Everything encourages us to look at each society on its own terms, so let us start by getting our feet wet.

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Early Navigation in the Asia-Pacific Region, 2016

The Manila Galleon trade has attracted a great deal of interest from the public and the academic ... more The Manila Galleon trade has attracted a great deal of interest from the public and the academic community alike; As Roberto Junco wrote: they are the stuff of legends (Junco in The archaeology of Manila Galleons, pp. 877–886, 2011). Unfortunately, their fame could lead to their demise if treasure hunting activities are not controlled and academic research is not encouraged. If not kept in check, countries are likely to pass laws that will allow salvage companies to exploit underwater cultural heritage for profit.

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The Archaeology of Knowledge Traditions of the Indian Ocean World, 2020

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Historical Ecology of the Mekong River Version 1 (29-06-20... more Historical Ecology of the Mekong River Version 1 (29-06-2020) If used in a publication, please cite as: Kallio, M., Walker Vadillo, V., 2020, Historical Ecology of the Mekong in a set of 5 diachronic maps. Helsinki, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3827019 The set of maps presented here are an attempt to illustrate the complex dynamics that sit at the heart of the Mekong River Basin, and the long-term interactions that humans have had with this watery world. On the one hand, it aims to capture the changing landscape that follows the regional monsoonal climate, which affects both navigation and water-related resources. It also aims to bring forth the long-term interactions between people and their environment, presenting a diachronic view of late prehistoric, protohistoric, historic, and contemporary settlement sites following geographically-oriented landscape approaches postulated by the Maritime Cultural Landscape (Westerdahl, 1992) and Historical Ecology (Crumley, 1994). The data was originally compiled by Walker Vadillo for her study on river navigation during the Angkor era (see Walker Vadillo, 2016), a work that was made possible by the generosity of the Centre for Khmer Studies (CKS) through their Senior Fellowship program, the ENITAS grant from Chulalongkorn University, and various grants received from the University of Oxford (Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology, St. Cross College, and the School of Archaeology). The maps deposited here were funded by the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies through the Core Research Fellowship program. The first version of the map, in the form of a topological map, can be found in Walker Vadillo's doctoral thesis (2016). A monograph based on the thesis is currently in preparation and will be published in the British Archaeological Review (BAR) series Cultural Studies in Maritime and Underwater Archaeology. Further articles in regards to navigation and fish exploitation are currently in preparation, details of publications will be uploaded [...]

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Asian Perspectives, 2016

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International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2009

... New Boat Paintings from Angkor Wat? Veronica Walker-Vadillo. Article first published online: ... more ... New Boat Paintings from Angkor Wat? Veronica Walker-Vadillo. Article first published online: 10 AUG 2009. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-9270.2009.00242.x. ... More content like this. Find more content: like this article. Find more content written by: Veronica Walker-Vadillo. ...

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SPAFA Journal

This article is an overview of the work that has been conducted so far on river usage and nautica... more This article is an overview of the work that has been conducted so far on river usage and nautical technology in the history of Angkor, and a discussion on how maritime approaches can contribute to the creation of new knowledge by opening new lines of research that can help us reconstruct a more nuanced view of Angkor’s fluvial history. Although Angkor’s connection to the river network was made in the early 20th century, the compartmentalized studies that have been carried out so far on the subject of Angkor’s relationship to its watery environment have resulted in interpretations that do not reflect the complexity of the subject. It will be argued here that archaeologists who do not integrate maritime approaches in studies of cultures like Angkor, where waterways play an important role in their environment, are likely to miss important aspects of fluvial cultures. By applying concepts such as the Maritime Cultural Landscape, it will be possible to push beyond the boundaries of terr...

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The Oxford Handbook of Early Southeast Asia

Maritime archaeology in Southeast Asia is a vibrant area of research that entails a hugely divers... more Maritime archaeology in Southeast Asia is a vibrant area of research that entails a hugely diverse dataset. Historical and anthropological records are combined with archaeological material in attempts to interpret the tangible and intangible heritage connected to the use of the aquatic environment. Seas, rivers, and lakes create fluid environments and provide space for socioeconomic activities. The role of maritime archaeologists is to interpret that connection and exchange by looking at the issue from a water perspective, taking into account the intricate entanglement between humans, objects, and the watery environment that make up maritime communities. From this perspective, maritime archaeology has also developed specific theoretical frameworks to interpret archaeological data. This chapter provides an overview of the discipline in Southeast Asia, of the current projects and trends, and explores different ways of inquiry that can be used to apprehend human-environment interaction...

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SPAFACON 2021: Papers from the SEAMEO SPAFA International Conference on Southeast Asian Archaeology and Fine Arts, 13-17 December 2021

How did Southeast Asia transform from a hub of prehistoric coastal networks into a transregional ... more How did Southeast Asia transform from a hub of prehistoric coastal networks into a transregional interdependent port system by the early modern period? To answer this question, which is crucial to understanding the historical developments of polities along the Indo-Pacific region, this presentation proposes to examine the synergetic nature of shipping infrastructure in order to push current boundaries that place the focus on trade goods.

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The set of maps presented here are an attempt to illustrate the complex dynamics that sit at the ... more The set of maps presented here are an attempt to illustrate the complex dynamics that sit at the heart of the Mekong River Basin, and the long-term interactions that humans have had with this watery world. On the one hand, it aims to capture the changing landscape that follows the regional monsoonal climate, which affects both navigation and water-related resources. It also aims to bring forth the long-term interactions between people and their environment, presenting a diachronic view of late prehistoric, protohistoric, historic, and contemporary settlement sites following geographically-oriented landscape approaches postulated by the Maritime Cultural Landscape (Westerdahl, 1992) and Historical Ecology (Crumley, 1994). The data was originally compiled by Walker Vadillo for her study on river navigation during the Angkor era (see Walker Vadillo, 2016), a work that was made possible by the generosity of the Centre for Khmer Studies (CKS) through their Senior Fellowship program, the ENITAS grant from Chulalongkorn University, and various grants received from the University of Oxford (Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology, St. Cross College, and the School of Archaeology). The maps deposited here were funded by the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies through the Core Research Fellowship program. The first version of the map, in the form of a topological map, can be found in Walker Vadillo’s doctoral thesis (2016). A monograph based on the thesis is currently in preparation and will be published in the British Archaeological Review (BAR) series Cultural Studies in Maritime and Underwater Archaeology. Further articles in regards to navigation and fish exploitation are currently in preparation, details of publications will be uploaded here as they become available.

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Asian Review of World Histories, 2021

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The development of the medieval city of Angkor (802-1431 CE) in the floodplains of the Tonle Sap ... more The development of the medieval city of Angkor (802-1431 CE) in the floodplains of the Tonle Sap Lake has lead researchers to believe that Angkor made use of its extensive river network; however, little attention has been given to Angkor’s relationship with its watery environment. Previous studies have presented a fragmentary view of the subject by analysing different components in a compartmentalized way, placing the focus on nautical technology or neglecting discussions on water transport in academic works on land transport. This work aims to provide a more comprehensive study on Angkor’s specific cognitive and functional traits that could be construed as a distinctive form of fluvial cultural landscape. This is done by examining the environment, nautical technology, and the cultural biography of boats within the theoretical framework of the maritime cultural landscape and using a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates data from archaeology, iconography, history, ethnography ...

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Suomen antropologi, Oct 7, 2023

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Delivering the Deep. Maritime Archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA 7, 2024

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suomen antropologi, 2023

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Early Navigation in the Asia-Pacific Region, 2016

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The Archaeology of Knowledge Traditions of the Indian Ocean World, 2020

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Asian Perspectives, 2016

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International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2009

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SPAFA Journal

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The Oxford Handbook of Early Southeast Asia

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SPAFACON 2021: Papers from the SEAMEO SPAFA International Conference on Southeast Asian Archaeology and Fine Arts, 13-17 December 2021

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Asian Review of World Histories, 2021

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2nd International Contact Rock Art Symposium

Virtually nothing is known about the rock art of Laos PDR, a landlocked Southeast Asian country b... more Virtually nothing is known about the rock art of Laos PDR, a landlocked Southeast Asian country bordered by Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. We draw attention to a singular rock painting at the Pak Ou Caves in Luang Prabang province. A popular tourist destination from the nearby Luang Prabang World Heritage Site, the caves are a pair of limestone caves housing a number of Buddhist shrines and thousands of Buddha statues, giving it the colloquial name of the 'Cave of a Thousand Buddhas'. Current rock art research at the site is underway, and the depiction of a steamship in green pigment is discussed. The caves lie at the confluence of two rivers, the Mekong and the Ou, but part of the Mekong -the main waterway to the sea - is sectioned by the Kong falls, making it impossible for steamships to navigate up to Laos. How then can we explain the depiction of a steamship this far upriver? We suggest that the steamship can be identified as one of the ships belonging to the “Messageries Fluviales de Cochinchine” (the River Shipping Company of Cochinchina). This French company, founded in 1881, held the monopoly of river transport in the Mekong, and was in charge of opening a commercial route to Laos.

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This is a power point presentation for a PhD research lecture. The slides present an evolution of... more This is a power point presentation for a PhD research lecture. The slides present an evolution of the engineering of consent, from the French Revolution to Edward Bernays' work on Propaganda. The aim of the paper is to explore the connections between World Fairs and government propaganda.

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The poster is an informative note on the basic characteristics of the planks that were excavated ... more The poster is an informative note on the basic characteristics of the planks that were excavated in the Koh Sdach Wreck (Cambodia). It was designed for a community outreach exhibition in Cambodia. Contact the author for a clearer image.

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Delivering the Deep. Maritime archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA7, 2024

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free t... more This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on the BAR Digital platform here

Delivering the Deep: Maritime archaeology for the 21st century, originated from work presented at IKUWA 7 conference in Helsinki, and offers a comprehensive look at state-of-the-art research being undertaken by maritime scholars. A curated series of essays reviews change in the discipline over the past 50 years and highlights current trends. The wide range of themes presented underscores the changing nature of maritime archaeology, which has expanded from an initial focus on underwater archaeology and nautical technology to become a dynamic, interdisciplinary field encompassing all tangible and intangible elements of culture related to human activities on, in and around aquatic environments. Themes connected to theoretical frameworks, especially those focusing on maritime cultural landscapes, have increased in popularity, a sign of growth in theoretical insights and maturing research. This paves the way for a more nuanced understanding of past societies, their behaviours, technologies, economies, beliefs, and interactions with watery environments.

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Moving northward: Professor Volker Heyd's Festschrift as he turns 60, 2023

This paper discusses old and new ideas about the origins and migration routes of Cuba's pre-Colum... more This paper discusses old and new ideas about the origins and migration routes of Cuba's pre-Columbian inhabitants as well as their fate after European contact. The deep-rooted and widespread notion that the Indocubans and their culture were obliterated by disease, mistreat, and the overwhelming influx of European settlers and African slaves is shown to be fallacious on the basis of surviving ethnohistorical data, official documents, and recent DNA research.

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Edited by Hans Van Tilburg, Sila Tripati, Veronica Walker Vadillo, Brian Fahy and Jun Kimura

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25 min interview in Spanish on my doctoral thesis for the radio program Itsas Tantak in Onda Vasc... more 25 min interview in Spanish on my doctoral thesis for the radio program Itsas Tantak in Onda Vasca. You can request a copy from me via PM.
25 minutos de entrevista sobre mi tesis doctoral para el programa de radio Itsas Tantak en Onda Vasca. Puedes solicitar una copia a traves de un mensaje privado.

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The article is a brief description of the first European travellers who visited Angkor. The text ... more The article is a brief description of the first European travellers who visited Angkor. The text is in Spanish.

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Waterways have been key factors in the development of societies from prehistoric times to nowaday... more Waterways have been key factors in the development of societies from prehistoric times to nowadays, particularly due to their role as vectors for cultural interactions, material exchange, and transmission of knowledge. The fluidity of these highways of transport and communications is tightly linked to the presence of transit points: spaces with unique geographical characteristics that acted as nodal points between different communities. Taking all this into account, an interdisciplinary perspective with a focus on human-environment interactions is necessary. This sort of approach can help set forth more nuanced theories regarding the relation between social systems and their environment, using data obtained through different disciplines such as iconography, law, computer modelling, ethnography, geography, history, linguistics, environmental sciences, and so on. This conference seeks to challenge the interaction between models and particular case studies. To this aim, we would like to invite proposals from scholars conducting research in different fields whose focus is human activities in rivers, sea-river, and coastal transit points with a broad geographic and chronological perspective. With this interdisciplinary approach, we expect to demonstrate what can be achieved by changing the research paradigm to one that fully embraces the nuances of the aquatic world, and specially the intricate connection between water spaces and humans. For more information concerning the conference, visit:

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/downbythewater/

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Series Editors: Linda Hulin (Oxford), Veronica Vardillo-Walker (Helsinki) In the thirty years sin... more Series Editors: Linda Hulin (Oxford), Veronica Vardillo-Walker (Helsinki) In the thirty years since Christer Westerdahl called for the study of maritime cultural landscapes, the field of maritime and underwater archaeology has been dominated by economic studies and the exploration of boat building traditions. Yet there has been a quiet sea-change, with more and more graduate studies oriented towards maritime cultural life on land as well as on board ship, and including inland rivers, lakes and waterways in the scope of their inquiry. The series editors wish to encourage contributions that embrace all forms of theory in maritime and underwater archaeology that increase our understanding of maritime cultural practices and identities in the past. The series will publish synthetic studies, theoretically oriented excavation reports and object studies, conference proceedings and revised doctoral theses. To ensure academic relevance, we encourage conference proceedings to be published within 2 years of the conference session taking place. The geographical scope of the series will be global, and contributions are encouraged from all regions of the world and from all time periods, from the Palaeolithic to the modern world. Editorial Board

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25th November 10:00-12:00 in Helsinki, Common Room of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies,

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Hasta el Tuetano, 2021

En este articulo de divulgacion publicado en la revista popular "Hasta el Tuetano" Num. 7 editada... more En este articulo de divulgacion publicado en la revista popular "Hasta el Tuetano" Num. 7 editada por Fernando Crucijar, la autora presenta un resumen sobre las actividades hispanolusitanas en Camboya en el siglo XVI, con un foco en las aventuras de Blas Ruiz y Diego Belloso.

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Global conversations in maritime archaeology Waterways have been key factors in the development o... more Global conversations in maritime archaeology
Waterways have been key factors in the development of societies from prehistoric times to nowadays, particularly due to their role as vectors for cultural interactions, material exchange, and transmission of knowledge between people and societies. Placing the focus on human-environment interactions in maritime, fluvial, and lacustrine spaces, this interdisciplinary seminar series aims to explore current advances in maritime history, archaeology, and anthropology world wide. The series is hosted by Dr. Veronica Walker, PI of the Ports and Harbours of Southeast Asia project, and Ass. Prof. Dr. Kristin Ilves, lead of the maritime archaeology program at the University of Helsinki and PI of the Survivors of Ragnarok project. Talks for Spanish-speaking audiences will be coordinated and hosted by Dr. Emilia Mataix Ferrandiz, postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Law, Identity and the European Narratives.

Seminar rationale
Following the footsteps of the Down by the Water: interdisciplinary symposium on the role of water transit points in past human societies, celebrated at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies in 2019, this seminar series will serve as a platform for experts from relevant fields to discuss current advances in the of study of rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans, exploring how these watery spaces have shaped human action.

Seminar virtual venue
Seeing internet as a metaphor for watery networks, and computers as vessels that link people who are apart, we invite you all to join us Down By the Water via Zoom to discover new research projects on maritime-related projects that are taking place world wide in complementary fields such as anthropology, archaeology, ethnography, history, and so on.

Dates and time

The seminar series is projected to be on-going, and will run fortnightly during term time (following the University of Helsinki calendar). The times will have to vary to accommodate speakers’ and hosts’ time zones. The information on dates, time and link will be made available in advance in the website and in our social media.

***Please note that we may require registration for each event to ensure the link to the Zoom seminar is used appropriately, we will provide further updates soon***

Social Media

Twitter handle: @4DownByTheWater

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/4DownByTheWater/

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UNESC0 Intangible Cultural Heritage Courier of Asia and the Pacific, 2021

The sea has long been a part of ritualistic life across many cultures. There is a special bond be... more The sea has long been a part of ritualistic life across many cultures. There is a special bond between humans and the sea that we depend so much upon for our lives. Recognizing the importance of the sea and associated rituals, this ICH Courier volume focuses on four Asian-Pacific region maritime rituals. In particular, we will explore the vast differences in how communities in Vietnam, Taumako of the Solomon Islands, Korea, and China practice their sacred rituals in relation to the life-giving waters that surround them. The Sending-the-King-Ship Ceremony is one such ritual.

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Bijdragen totde Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 2023

vol. 179 , no. 2 , pp. 279-282

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