IHP-EFEO Talk

Speaker: 
Prof. Hubert FORESTIER
Professor, National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Paris

Title:
The Stone and its Shadow: Epistemological Reflections on the Invisible (Unseen)  in the Prehistory of Southeast Asia

Host:
Prof. Scarlett CHIU
Research Fellow & Head, Department of Archaeology, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
&
Prof. Frank MUYARD
Head, EFEO Taipei Center

Date:
Friday, December 5, 2025, at 3:00

Venue:
Conference Room 703, Research Building, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica

Abstract:
Prehistoric archaeology is a science, and as a science it raises epistemological problems and philosophical questions. One of the major problems we have encountered in our studies on the Hoabinhian period in Southeast Asia (40,000-4000 BP), is the question of the objectivity of the representativeness of the lithic implements. The metaphor of “stone and shadow” (Forestier 2020) invites us to reflect on the status and the meaning of the lithic artefact.
The discussion will focus on the ‘stone’s shadow’ which shows what’s missing — the plant, bamboo, or wood — and which makes the stone stand out in the archaeological space.
This talk will begin by recalling the theoretical trajectory inherent in prehistoric archaeology, and will then invite us to reflect on the interpretation of gaps and absences in the Hoabinhian lithic facies. How can we identify and interpret archaeological gaps and lacunae, given that the absence of proof is not proof of absence, especially when we are dealing with a trace and not an object ... ?

Organizers: Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica & EFEO Taipei Center.

※ The talk will be given in English. Registration is not required.

 conference