2.5 tonnes of artefacts uncovered during Empress Place excavation

SINGAPORE - A total of 2.5 tonnes of artefacts have been uncovered at Empress Place in the largest-ever archaeological excavation conducted in Singapore.

After two months of excavation works, the team found significant artefacts dating back to the Temasek period. These include 700-year-old timber planks - the first of its kind recovered in Singapore, a gold coin, and rare Buddhist figurines which could provide valuable insights into the religious and cultural practices of the past.

The archaeological excavation was organised by the National Heritage Board (NHB) in partnership with the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (NSC-ISEAS).

Mr Alvin Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Policy & Development), said: "With the Empress Place excavation, we have hit the archaeological jackpot in terms of the quantity and quality of recovered artefacts. Now that the excavation works have been completed, Singaporeans can look forward to viewing some of the more significant artefacts at our museums once the necessary cataloguing and research work are completed."

NSC-ISEAS will proceed to clean and catalogue the recovered artefacts, and conduct further research on them. Research material gleaned will be used in NHB's assessment of the artefacts.

Artefacts which are historically significant will be accessioned into the National Collection and/or made available for display at museums and/or exhibitions.

ljessica@sph.com.sg