These are a set of notes form a workshop conducted for S1 History Teachers on how to interpret Singapore History in pre-modern times (14th century to 15th century) using the historical lenses of archaeology, anthropology and historical accounts.

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Hands-On Activity 1: Archaeology
Mystery Packet: Artifact Interpretation: Modern coins and notes: In archaeology, hundred
and often thousands of artifacts (man-made objects used as a tool or weapon) are found at a
site. Sometimes a single object will provide a lot of detail about a society. A coin is an example
because it has the potential to give information about leaders, values, technological
accomplishments, language, political system and a numerical system in operation, as well as
the date of manufacture of the coin.
It is a difficult task because sometimes archaeologists are tempted to make inferences based on
t heir modern day knowledge. They look at historical patterns to the items (like where they are
found etc) to ask new questions about the items. They also have a hypotheses that they test as
they proceed with their research. They usually state their conclusions by saying that something
“may have” or “probably” occurred.
Task 1: Imagine that you are an archaeologist who lived 100 years from the present date and
your task is to find out how humans lived on earth in 2014. What conclusions would you draw?
Select an artifact: Use a coin or dollar note from your wallet.
Suspend your judgment: You are an archaeologist who lives in Singapore in 3014. You are
tasked to find out about what Singapore was like in 2014.
Training experience: You have an exemplar from a previous archaeologist on how you can go
abut doing you task. Remember that you are from the future and you are investigating an
unknown society. Remember to use such words as “may have”, “probably” and infer using
only information from the items you are analyzing. (An example is provide below)
A sample answer involving examining a US penny might look something like this
Name of artefact: ________________
Artefact Number: ________________
This society had access to minerals, probably through mining or trading.
Their men wore facial hair and liked having beards.
The people believed in a kind of deity or God.
They made open-air, stone-like monumental architecture.
They had knowledge of the Latin and English Language.
They had a numerical system which includes the number one.
They are organized into a system of states which are united or linked together to a larger
country called America.
This object is not wearable.

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Hands-On Activity 2: Archaeology
Artifact Interpretation: Coins and notes from the 15th
to 18th
century
Using the same artifact worksheet. Analyze the following artifacts using historical knowledge
which you have just read about.
Artifact 1: Copper coins from the Kallang River and Empress Place
Background Information: Such coins were found at Empress Place, Singapore and the
Kallang River. They are made of copper and have the word 1 Duit on it.
Artifact 2: Gold coins from the Johor-Riau Sultanate minted between 1527-1564
Background Information: Some gold coins found from the Kallang River was minted in the
time of Sultan AlauddinRiayat Shah (1527-1564). They are octagonal in shape and inscribed
with the name of the Sultan on one side. The other side has his honorofic title “Vice-Gerant of
the Faithful”. Vice-Gerant means a person exercising delegated power on behalf of a sovereign
or ruler.

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Hands-On Activity 2: Archaeology
Using the artifact sheet below, glue a picture of your artifact into the frame. Answer each
question using the artifact record.
Draw or insert picture Name of Artifact:
________________________
Artifact Number:
_________________________
Describe what does the artifact look like? Is there any writing on it? Is it large / small? What
colour is it?
What is it made of?
Who might have used it?
What do you think it was used for?
Who do you think made it?
What can we learn about technology or techniques at the time it was made?
What does the artifact tell you about the period?
What does it tell you about the people who would have used it or who might have been affected
by it?
Can you think of a similar object that is used today for the same purpose?
If you could talk to the person who made or owned this artifact, what questions would you ask?

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Hands-On Activity 3: Archaeology

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Hands-On Activity 4: Archaeology
To find out what Singapore was like in the 14th
century, uncovering ceramic shards from the
period is sometimes very useful in telling us the kind of trade connections and lives that people
led.
Receptacles like jars, pots, dishes and plates can be broken into thousands of pieces but their
fragments are virtually indestructible. They are very durable and unlike silk, cloth, food or
wooden products, they can tell us much about history, they can tell us much about history.
Listed are three kinds of ceramic shards found in Singapore‟s archaeological digs. What does it
tell you about life in Singapore?
Many of the shards were found at Fort Canning Hill or Bukit Larangan.
1. What does this tell you about the people who lived on Bukit Larangan?
2. Why do you think porcelain was so valuable?
3. What did people see in porcelain?
4. Why do you think Wang Da Yuan listed all the different kinds of ceramics
(material, shape, size, colour and decoration) found in different Southeast Asian
ports)
Try using the photographs and information given to you to piece the answers together. [This can
also be an activity using the ceramic shards from the resource package prepared)
Earthern ware: Earthernware are made from local
clay found in the inland parts of Singapore. They are
found in large quantities near river areas. Some of
them were part of huge jars. Others were small and
dainty with little water spouts. Some of them also
have paddle-marked decorations.
1. What can you see in the picture?
These are shards of earthern ware of different
colours. Some of them have paddle-marked
patterns
2. What does the picture and description tell you
about trade in Singapore in the past?
Since earthern ware is made from loca clay. It tells
us that people used locally made products and
possibly exported them.
3. What do you think theywere used for?
Since there were huge jars as well as small an
dainty ones with water spouts, they could have been
used to store and carry water for everyday use,
especially since they were all found near river areas

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Stoneware: Stoneware shards came from
Guangdong province. They are more durable and
made in kilns. Stoneware was also found in many
parts of Singapore. They lack regular shape and are
not decorated. Some are said to store mercury
which is a substance used for purify gold.
Why do you think there is so much stoneware found
in Singapore?
What kind of trade can be linked to this?
Porcelain: Porcelain is a hard, white, translucent
ceramic made by firing a pure clay and then glazing
it with different colored materials.
Famous Greenwarepottery called celadon are
expensive because they are made only in Longquan
in Zhejiang province found in the interior of China.
Blue and white porcelain are also expensive
because it is made fromkaolin clay found mainly in
Jingdezhen area in Jiangxi province in the
mountainous regions of China.
Celadon being uncovered at St Andrew‟s
Cathedral
Blue and white porcelain fragment
unearthed in SIngapore

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A: Writings of Abdullah Mushi (1848):
There were many old fruit trees here.
Durian, duku, lime, langsat, petai, jering
and pomelo. Some of these trees were
of great size
B: Excavation in 1928: Gold Jewelry
found
C: John Crawfurd 1822): There was a
building platformabout 12 m on each
side. It had an enclosed area in the
centre.
A
B
C
D
E
D: Excavation in 1984 and 1988: Large
amounts of glass fragments, beads and
ceramic moulds were found here
F
Hand-On-Activity 5: Archaeology
E: Excavation in the 1990s in the North
bank of the Singapore River:
Earthernware for water containers and
cooking ports from Sumatra, Java ,
Thailand and China found. AlsoQingbai,
celadon and blue and white ceramics
from China. Metal objects like coins,
fishing hooks, spear tips and glass
fragments found here.
F: The wall on the north boundary of the
ancient down of Singapore was 5 meters wide
at the base and about 2.75 metres in height.
The rampart wet up the hillside. There was a
trench on its outer edge. The earthworks were
not intended for use for rifles and cannons
Based on the information given in the boxes, what was A, B, C, D,E and F used for in
pre-modern Singapura?
Possible help words:
Royal Gardens
Servant living quarters
Royal Palace
Main settlement
Trading Area
Eartherndefence wall
Ritual place of worship

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Hands-On Activity 1: Anthropology
Task 1: Use a magnifying glass and look at the photograph in greater detail. What details can you tell about the horse and
clothes being worn by the rider?
Task 2: Read the articles or/and watch a video about the importance of horses in Southeast Asia in dance culture
Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6BUZPOvWYM

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Article 1: KudaKepang - Malaysian Dance and Theatre

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It is said that it was created by the WaliSongo or
Nine Saints, who were instrumental in spreading the
religion of Islam in the Indonesian island of Jawv; for
the dance dramatises tales of holy wars won for
Islam. However, it is also believed to have totemistic
origins.
The dance, now popular in the state of Johor, is
usually performed by nine to 15 dancers, all garbed
in traditional Javanese clothes. The dancers are
usually all men, though women dancers are not
uncommon these days. However, seldom, if ever, will
you see both genders performing this dance
together.
In a performance, each dancer sits astride a mock horse, and they re-enact the battles to the beat of a percussion ensemble usually
consisting of drums, gongs and angklungs. A dancer known as the Danyang will take the lead by directing the other dancers using a
whip.
The dance is believed to have strong links to the spirit world. It is not uncommon to see a KudaKepang dancer entering a trance
during a performance. The two-dimensional mock horse - which is traditionally made out of hide or pleated bamboo, and is painted
and decorated to resemble a horse - is said to harbour spirits which have to be appeased in a pre-dance ceremony conducted by a
bomoh (medicine man). These days, this belief and practice are not encouraged.
The KudaKepang has now become a regular fixture in grand occasions such as the birthday of the Sultan of Johor, state
government celebrations, and cultural shows. - http://www.best-of-langkawi.com/culture/28-culture-kuda-kepang.html
Article 2: Kuda Lumping
Kuda Lumping (literally flat horse; also known as JaranKepang or Jathilan in Javanese) is a traditional Javanese dance depicting a
group of horsemen. Dancers "ride" horses made from woven bamboo and decorated with colorful paints and cloth. Generally, the
dance portrays troops riding horses, but another type of Kuda Lumping performance also incorporates trances and magic tricks.

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When the "possessed" dancer is performing the dance in trance conditions, he can display unusual abilities, such as eating glass
and resistance to the effects of whipping or hot coals. Although the dance is native to Java, Indonesia, it also performed by Javanese
communities in Suriname, Malaysia and Singapore.
Origins: Kuda Lumping is known under different names in different areas. While Kuda Lumping is the most common name in West
Java, in Central Java it is known as JaranKepang or Jathilan in East Java; in Bali, it is known as Sang HyangJaran.[2] In Bali
Sanghyang dance refer to the type of dance involving trance by spirit identified as hyang.
Performance: Kuda Lumping may be performed in celebration of a special event, such as a religious festivals or a boy‟s rite of
passage. It may also be performed as entertainment, in a busker style.
Kuda Lumping is traditionally performed by a group of men drawn from the local community; this group can number from 2 to 8.The
performers mount rattan horses and dance while traditional instruments such as the angklung, gongs, and drums are played This
portion of the performance ends when a dancer enters a trance, which is traditionally said to be caused by spirit possession. In Sang
HyangJaran, the audience may participate by forming a chorus and singing.
During their trances, the dancers may pretend to eat grass or drink water. In some performances, dancers may walk on coals or eat
glass or fire. The dancers also interact with the audience; in busker performances they may ask for money. In some areas the
dancers serve as oracles to deliver prophecies. After awakening from their trances, performers claim not to remember anything done
while performing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuda_Lumping
Task 3: Writing Task
Imagine you are a time traveler who is transported back into 14th
century Singapore, what would you have seen based on
the sources.
Task 4: Sketch/ Cartoon task
Imagine that you need to work or collaborate with an artist, what would you see visually in 14th
century Singapore.

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Hands-On Activity 2: Anthropology
Task 1: Read Wang Da Yuan‟s account of Singapore
The people at Pancur/Banzu are generally honest. They wear their hair short and wear false gold-patterned satin wrapped
around their heads. There is a red-oiled cloth wrapped around their body. They boil sea water to get salt and process rice
to produce rice wine. They trade in goods like satin, red gold, pottery and iron urns
Task 2: Read the article about Balinese traditional salt-makingand/ or watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI6R45TxjBc
Video 1: Traditional Salt Making in Bali
Video 2: Importance of Salt making in History

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Salt: A Brief Big History
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=big+history+%2B+salt
Article 1
There is something so precious about Balinese sea salt. First, a little bit about Salt History. Beyond its culinary
contributions, salt has created and destroyed empires and played a prominent role in determining the power and location
of many of the world's great cities. Hard to believe.
Salt's mighty ability to preserve food was a foundation of civilization. For a start, it eliminated the dependence on the
seasonal availability of food and allowed all those fearless seafaring folk to travel long distances with a bounty of
preserved snacks.
Enter terasi or shrimp paste, Indonesia's salt-preserved, fishy and ever-so-smelly beloved seasoning. But I digress.

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Salt is undeniably one of the world's first seasonings. But it seems in the early days, it was difficult to obtain, and thus
became a highly valued trade item.
As far back as the Bronze Age, salt roads were established and cities, states and duchies exacted heavy duties and taxes
for salt passing thorough their territories.
Until the twentieth century, salt was one of the prime movers of national economies and wars (it's starting to sound oh-so-
familiar). An amazing act for a seasoning that now sits humbly on dinner tables in modest glass shakers.
Even the word "salary" was derived from the Latin term "salarium" which was the name for a soldier's pay in the army of
ancient Rome. The pay included a large ration of salt,
Hands-On Activity 2: Anthropology (Cont)
which was not only a taste sensation of high value but also a medium for exchange: thus the origin of the expression,
"worth your salt".
Balinese sea salt is produced in coastal regions around the island. In Kusamba, East Bali, you can see the small salt-
making huts and coconut-drying trunks from the road.
The work begins in the misty, early hours of the morning, when the sun is still yawning. The farmers rake the sand gently
and sprinkle it lightly with water.
A thin crust forms which is gently scooped up and tipped into the first of a series of coconut trunks that resemble a woody
mouse-trap game (remember that one!).

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http://www.topholidaysbali.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/traditional-salt-process-1.jpg
The filtering journey ends with a pool of concentrated salt water. The thick salt water is collected and poured into open-air
trays and left to evaporate, relying on the heat of the fierce sun and gusty winds. Once the water has evaporated, the salt
is crushed and ground without further refining.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/10609510856_473ecb6e3b_o.jpg
Adapted from: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/02/28/in-praise-balinese-sea-salt.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/01/29/producing-salt-traditional-way-smokey-ordeal.html

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Hands-On Activity 2: Anthropology (Cont)
Task 3: Answer these questions
Why was salt making important for civilizations?
Based on what you have read, why do you think Wang Da Yuan mentioned „salt making‟ as an important industry for Singapura?

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Hands-On Activity: Historical Eyewitness Accounts
Task 1: Use the following eyewitness accounts to reconstruct your own interpretation of how Singapore declined
in the 1400s.
a) Who were Singapore‟s main enemies?
b) What are the possible reasons that led to the Fall of Singapore in the 1400s?
c) What is the difference between the SejarahMelayu( Source 1) and Portuguese accounts on the fall of Singapore?
(Source 5)? Why do they differ?
IskandarShah:I am Iskandar Shah, the last ruler
of Singapura. I accuased one of my wives of
being unfaithful. To avenge this humiliation, her
father, Sang Rajuna Tapa, opened the city gates
to let in the Majapahit forces, who destroyed
Singapura.
Wang Dayuan: I am Wang Dayuan. I
watched as the Siamese came with more
than 80 ships and raided Dan M Xi. They
laid siege to the city for a month but did
not dare assault it. They retreated when
an Imperial envoy from China passed by
the area.

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Exercise: Jigsaw
Gajah Mada: I am Gajah Mada, Prime Ministry of
the Majapahit Empire based in Trowalun, Java.
We pay our 30,000 soldiers in gold and silver. Our
empire was largest in the reign of HayamWuruk
(1334-1339). We dominated places like Sumatra
and Palembang. I swear I will not enjoy
palapauntil I have conquered all the nations on
my list, including Singpaura.,
Tomes Pires: I am Tomes Pires, a Portuguese
pharmacist who visited Southeast Asia and
lived in Melaka from 1512 to 1515. The
Javanese tell me that in 1360, a prince from
Palembang rebelled against Majapahit rule.
His revolt failed and he fled to Singapura
where he killed the local Sang Aji, or Prince of
the Island. He ruled with the help of the
Celatest, but he had no trade links. The
murder angered the King of Ayutthaya.

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JIGSAW TASK: PUTTING THE DIFFERENT LENSES TOGETHER
Break up into different groups of between 4 to 5 people.
Ensure that there is at least 1 anthropologist, 1 historian, 1 archaeologist on your team.
Select any of the activities in this worksheet/workbook.
You are a team of experts hired by the museum to do a project which depicts what life was like in Singapore in the
14
th
century. Using the expertise you have picked up, you may choose any of the following tasks:
Task 1:
Sketch a scene of 14th
century Singapore which depicts life in the 14
th
century.
Using arrows to indicate where your expertise as archaeologist, historian or anthropology comes into your project. An
example is shown below.
:
Archaeology: John Crawafurd
wrote about a 12m structure on
top of Fort Canning Hill. It is
possible that this was the palace
of the rulers of Singapura.
Anthropologist: Women play an
important role in Southeast Asian
Society. The story of the
SejarahMelayu tells of Sri Tri
Buana being adopted by a
powerful Queen who owned 400
ships from Bintan. Women in
Singapura also probably played
an important rule in politics and

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www.worldoftemasek.com
Task 2:
Do a children‟s museum writeout for kids below the age of 12 so that they can understand what Singapore was like in the
14th
century based on what you have learnt.

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Curriculum DesignFor Teachers: Unit Planning/ Conceptual Understanding
Key conceptual themes:A broad , integrating concept that as the ‘cement’ or filter for students to process factual information in a
cohesive manner. Eg.Interpreting Singapore’s Pre-Modern History (1300-1400)
Generalization: They are general statements and allow for ideas transfer. They are not specific to a time, place, person or
location. These are significant, conceptual and enduring ideas that students must understand at a deep level as a result of the
unit study.Eg.Archaeology, anthropology and historical eyewitness accounts shapes historical interpretation. museums)
Critical content: Eg. Wang Da Yuan visited Singapore in the 1330s. Salt was a major industry.
Content concepts: Eg. Sri Tri Buana, Parmeswara, SejarahMelayu, Wang Da Yuan, Gajah Madah, Tumasik, Singapura, Majapahit,
Siam
Historical concept: Eg. Historical interpretation
Key skills: Eg. Inference through artefact analysis.
Performance Task: Eg. Fictional account of historical character using inference from anthropology, archaeology and eyewitness
accounts.