Thailand History: Bronze Age 1511 y y y y Scattered throughout Thailand are ancient walled cities and huge elaborate

ancient temples. One of the ancient temples, Prasat Preah Vihear 1053 AD, is making headlines in 2008 as it is the subject of a border dispute between Thailand & Cambodia. There is archeological record to document that the world's first bronze age culture, as well as the world's first rice farmer, was in Issan of eastern Thailand. Issan has also produced pottery shards & forged iron objects as ancient as any Mesopotamian archeological finds.

A "group" of archeologically documented Thailand / Issan facts to be considered: y y y y Earliest Bronze Age Culture. Pottery shards amongst the world are oldest. Discovered rice cultivation for the world = an agricultural society, not 100% hunter & gatherer Amongst the world s earliest Iron Age cultures

Based on the above documented archeological facts: Is Thailand a "Cradle of Civilization"? y y y y The "Cradle" title is currently awarded by western historians to Ancient Mesopotamia. At the very least the Thai have an incredibly rich heritage! As impressive a linage as any on this planet. Thailand has a well preserved archeological record dating back to pre-iron age nomadic hunter and gatherers. Driving east from Bangkok the culturally rich Issan region begins at Korat.

Bronze Age & Iron Age tribal and regional chiefdoms led to the rather sophisticated Dvaravati and Angkor states which evolved into the modern kingdom of Thailand. y y Pottery shards bearing the imprint of both grains and husks of rice were discovered at Non Nok Tha in Issan near Korat dating from at least 4000 B.C. (6000 years ago) The Thai pottery shards found at the Non Nok Tha site are amongst the worlds oldest.

Ban Chang is reputed to be the world's oldest Bronze Age culture. y y y y y y Thai bronze was made with tin ( lots of tin in SE Asia) & was actually superior to the Mesopotamian bronze that required the use of toxic arsenic. Early Chinese people learned how to make bronze from the Thai. The word for copper in several dialects of Chinese is "tong", the same word used in the oldest Southeast Asian languages. The Bronze age community, 3600 BC, of Ban Chang covered a hill & was continuously occupied for more than 3000 years. Graves dated to 3600 B.C. have produced bronze bracelets, bells and spearheads. There is a comprehensive museum at the Ban Chang site.

The hamlet of Ban Chang is near Udon Thani, in the northern part of the Eastern Region of Thailand

The world's first domestic cultivation of rice was in Issan near today's Korat y y y The indigenous Thai discovered rice cultivation for the world. The Thai words for meal & rice are the same, 'kow'. 2004 Thailand is the world's leading exporter of rice. Vietnam is #2.

The indigenous Southeast Asians had agriculture and pottery at the same time as the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia. y y y y y y y y y y At Ban Chang archeologists have unearthed iron spearheads, knives and bracelets dating to 1600 B.C. These forged Iron objects are also amongst the world oldest. History books generally attribute the first iron age culture to the Hittites of ancient Turkey / Mesopotamia. Thai iron objects are just as old as anything the Hittites produced. Issan is the 'eastern' part of Thailand, on the Korat Plateau, bordering on Cambodia & Laos Driving from Bangkok, Korat marks the beginning of Issan Region of East Thailand. Ban Chang is a short day drive on modern highway from Korat near Udon Thani. Planes & trains to Korat, Khon Kaen, Udon or Ubon. The Ban Chang site is now protected by the Thai government. Previously local relic hunters actually undermined a highway near the site.

Thailand History: The Thai People The first Europeans to reach Thailand were the Portuguese in 1511.
y y

Followed in rapid succession by the Dutch, the English, the Spanish, and the French traders. Thailand is the only country in Indochina ( FRENCH Indochina ) to escape French colonialism.
o

The rest of SE Asia was 100% colonies: British ruled Burma & Malaysia, Dutch ruled Indonesia and both Spain & US ruled in the Philippines. Thailand is the only sovereignty in an area covering 1/3 of the globe to avoid brutal colonial domination. Quite amazing that Thailand was able to avoid being some Empire's colony.


& 500 years later Thailand remains the only stable democratic government in that entire region.

Today's Thailand represents 'the evolutionary progression of a contiguous societal hierarchy' with an archeological record dating back over 6000 years.

A documented continuous linage of language, art, religion, architecture .. unimpeded natural progressions and adaptations.

The South East Asian Thai have a documented record 6000 years old. y y y y y The most famous SE Asia historical site is Angkor Wat,1150 AD, covering wa & wa (acres & acres) in northern Cambodia. Many consider Siem Rep / Angkor Wat to be part of Thailand based on the 1941 Tokyo Convention. An international court returned to Thailand territory 'forcefully taken' by colonial French Cambodia in the early 20th century.. The French colonialist ignored the international court's decision and Siem Rep is in today's Cambodia . not in Thailand as it belongs. 1885 British Map showing Siem Reap clearly in Thailand.

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Brief Description: Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia. It marks an important stage in human cultural, social and technological evolution. The site presents the earliest evidence of farming in the region and of the manufacture and use of metals. Long Description: Ban Chiang was the centre of a remarkable phenomenon of human cultural, social, and technological evolution in the 5th millennium BC, which occurred independently in this area of south-east Asia and spread widely over the whole region. It is without question the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in south-east Asia. It presents the earliest evidence for true farming in the region and for the manufacture and use of metals: its long cultural sequence, size and economic status has no parallel in any other contemporary site in the region. Recent archaeological work at Nok Nok Tha and, later, Ban Chiang on the Khorat plateau of north-east Thailand has demonstrated that in south-east Asia prehistory was culturally backward. This area of modern Thailand has been shown by excavation and field survey to have been the centre of a cultural development in the 4th millennium BC that was an independent from China to the north and India to the west over much of south-east Asia and beyond into the Indonesian archipelago. Settlement of the Khorat plateau began around 3600 BC. The settlers came from the neighbouring lowlands, bringing with them a hunter-gatherer economy that was beginning to develop sedentary farming, with domesticated cattle, pigs, and chickens and an elementary form of dry-rice cultivation. The settled village life of this Early Period at Ban Chiang lasted until around 1000 BC. Agricultural methods were refined and improved, along with other skills such as house construction and pottery manufacture. The equipment of burials reflects an increasing social complexity.

The Middle Period (1000-500/300 BC) was notable for the introduction of wet-rice farming, as evidenced by the presence of water buffalo bones, and technological developments in ceramic and metal production. It was a time of considerable prosperity, as shown by the grave-goods, and one which saw the introduction of iron into common use. Although occupation appears to have ended at Ban Chiang in the 3rd century AD, while continuing at other sites in the region, Ban Chiang is considered to have been the principal settlement in this area of the Khorat plateau and has given its name to a distinctive archaeological culture. The prehistoric settlement, a low oval mound established by Laotian refugees in the late 8th century, lies beneath the modern village of Ban Chiang. Only very limited excavation has been possible in the settlement site, but this has established the existence of deep stratification and long cultural continuity. The main excavations have taken place on the perimeter of the modern village, where a large number of burials from all three periods, with rich ceramic and metal grave-goods, have been revealed and recorded. One of the excavations has been preserved for public viewing, with a permanent cover building: there is an excellent site museum in another part of the village. Historical Description: Until the 1960s. south-east Asia was considered to have been a culturally backward area in prehistory. The generally accepted view was that its cultural development resulted from external influences, principally from China to the north and India to the west. Recent archaeological work at Nok Nok Tha and, later, Ban Chiang on the Khorat plateau of north-east Thailand has demonstrated this view to be incorrect: this area of modem Thailand has been shown by excavation and field survey to have been the centre of an independent, and vigorous, cultural development in the 4th millennium BC which shaped contemporary social and cultural evolution over much of southeast Asia and beyond. into the Indonesian archipelago. Settlement of the Khorat plateau began around 3600 BC. The settlers came from the neighbouring lowlands, bringing with them a hunter-gatherer economy that was beginning to develop sedentary farming, with domesticated cattle, pigs, and chickens and an elementary form of dry-rice cultivation. The settled village life of this Early Period at Ban Chiang lasted until c. 1000 BC. Agricultural methods were refined and improved, along with other skills such as house construction and pottery manufacture. The equipment of burials reflects an increasing social complexity. Of especial importance was the growing use of bronze, for weapons and personal ornament in the earlier phase but spreading to more utilitarian applications in the later phases. The Middle Period (lOOO-500/300 BC) was notable for the introduction of wet-rice farming, as evidenced by the presence of waterbuffalo bones, and technological developments in ceramic and metal production, It was a period of considerable prosperity, as shown by the grave-goods, and one which saw the introduction of iron into common use. In the Late Period (500/300 BC-AD 200/300) there was further social and technological development. especially in ceramic design and production. Although occupation appears to have ended at Ban Chiang

in the 3rd century AD, at other sites in the region, such as Non Maung and Ban Prasat, settlement was continuous into the 16th century and later. Ban Chiang is considered to have been the principal settlement in this area of the Khorat plateau and has given its name to a distinctive archaeological culture. Scores of contemporary sites have been discovered in the region, at several of which excavations have been carried out. The prehistoric settlement lies beneath the modern village of Ban Chiang (established by Laotian refugees in the late 18th century). It is a low oval mound some 500m by 1.3km. Only very limited excavation has been possible in the settlement site, but this has established the existence of deep stratification and long cultural continuity. The main excavations have taken place on the perimeter of the modem village, where a large number of burials from all three periods, with rich ceramic and metal grave-goods, have been revealed and recorded. One of the excavations has been preserved for public viewing, with a permanent cover building: there is an excellent site museum in another part of the village. Ban Chiang Settlements and Culture Relatively unknown, Thailand is also on the map as a place of early prehistoric development. A much researched site is the Ban Chiang area, close to Udon Thani, Northern Thailand. Prehistoric settlements in Thailand before Ban Chiang were found mostly along the great rivers. These rock shelter and cave dwellers were hunter-gatherers. About 5600 years ago prehistoric settlements emerged in the vicinity of Ban Chiang, in present day Udon Thani province, Northern Thailand. These settlements were intially located on low to middle terraces of main and tributary streams, particularly where two streams converged with fertile alluvial soils. In nearby streams and ponds were a variety of marine fauna, whereas the surrounding dry deciduous forests were rich in game of all sizes. Located on mounds, the early settlements were relatively small. The wooden houses were built on stilts. Later, about 3000 years ago, larger villages were settled on flood plains and on the tracts of land between the flood plain and low terrace. Sherds of painted ceramic ware were discovered by chance by villagers around 1957 and displayed at the village school. In 1960, some of these sherds were presented to the department of Fine Arts, but a serious study was only attempted from 1966. It confirmed that they indeed belonged to a distinctive prehistoric culture. Subsequently, public interest in Ban Chiang antiquities gained momentum. During 1974-75, the Department of Fine Arts and the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, jointly conducted the Northeast Thailand Archaelogical Project (NETAP), a major systematic, in-depth, multi-disciplinary archaeological research programme in northeastern Thailand with extensive excavations at Ban Chiang.

The people who developed Ban Chiang Culture were most likely inigenous groups who successfully turned their way of life from hunting-gathering to agriculture. Most of the remains indicate no violent causes of death, a testimony to the relatively peaceful life of preistoric Ban Chiang. Ways of Life and Social Relations Agriculture. From the beginning ca 5600 years ago, the prehistoric village settlements at Ban Chiang engaged in wet swidden rice cultivation in swamp land and raised livestock, such as cattle and pigs, as well as dogs for companionship. They still maintained their hunting-gathering way of life in nearby forests and streams. Wet rice cultivation in irrigated land and the domestication of buffalo for ploughing the paddy fields were introduced about 3000 years ago. Material Culture. Ceramics technology was known to these prehistoric settlements form the very beginning. Its manufacturing technique, form and decorative designs were constantly and continuously developed and refined until the abandonment of the settlements some 1800 years ago. The casting of bronze tools, weapons and ornaments was widely practised sometimes before 3000 years ago. The making of iron tools was introduced around 2700 years ago. Ropes, mats and baskets were also made from the earliest period, but textile technology began probalby 3000 years ago in conjunction with bronze technology. Social Structure Though basically rice growing village settlements,there existed various groups of silled crafsmen other than rice farmers, such as potters, bronze and iron smiths, basket and textile weavers, due to the highly developed material culture. The Ban Chiang culture did not transform itself into urban towns or a centralized state based on expansionism. Trade and exchange with distant communities existed as early as 4000 years ago. Ban Chiang Ban Chiang denotes an archeological site located in Nong Han district, Udon Thani Province, Thailand. Discovered in 1957, the Ban Chiang Archaeological site attracted enormous publicity due to its distinctive red painted pottery. During the first formal scientific excavation in 1967, archaeologists unearthed several skeletons, together with bronze grave gifts. Rice fragments have also been found, leading to the belief that the Bronze Age settlers probably had been farmers. The site's oldest graves absence of bronze artifacts led archaeologists to conclude that the site dates to the Neolithic period; the most recent graves date to the Iron Age. The dating of the artifacts using the thermo luminescence technique resulted in 4420 B.C.E. - 3400 B.C.E. dates. That positioned Ban Chiang as the earliest Bronze Culture site in the world.

Radiocarbon tests in the 1970s revised that date to 2100 B.C.E. to 200 C.E. The dispute continues, although the majority of archaeologists have accepted the later radiocarbon dating. Regardless, the importance of the Ban Chiang site to discovering the roots of the people of Thailand, and human beings, remains firm. UNESCO's designation of the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site as a World Heritage Site in 1992 highlights that importance. Prehistoric Thailand Prehistoric Thailand traces back as far as 1,000,000 years ago based on the fossils and stone tools found in northern and western Thailand, and an archaeological site in Lampang, northern Thailand. Archaeologists discovered the Homo erectus fossil, Lampang Man, dating back 1,000,000 500,000 years. The stone tools have been widely found in Kanchanaburi, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Lopburi. Those regions have given up cave-paintings dating 8,000 B.C.E. Lower Palaeolithic (2,500,000 - 120,000 B.C.E.) Early Stone Age. The Lower Palaeolithic constitutes the earliest subdivision of the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age beginning approximately 2.5 million years ago, when the first craft and use of stone tools by hominids appears in the archaeological record. The era concludes 120,000 years ago when important evolutionary and technological changes ushered in the Middle Palaeolithic period. Early species. The earliest hominid, Homo erectus, appears in the archaeological record, dating from 1,000,000 - 500,000 years ago. Lampang Man typifies the Homo erectus fossil discovered. Homo erectus moved into Asia from Africa, where it had originated, learning to control fire to support the hunter-gatherer method of subsistence. Homo erectus's skull had been smaller and thicker than modern human beings. He lived in the mouth of caves near the streams. His main natural enemies included the Giant Hyena Hyaena senesis, the Sabre-toothed Tiger, the Orang-utan, and the Giant Panda. In 1999, Somsak Pramankit found skull fragments of Homo erectus in Ko Kha, Lampang, comparable to a model skull of Sangiran II Man found in Java (Java man), dating 400,000 - 800,000 years old, as well as Peking Man. Relation to modern Thai people. Any connection between the modern Thai and Lampang Man as descendants had been considered mere speculation until recently. Modern genetic research has advanced a hypothesis that a connection does, indeed, exist. A recent study undertaken by geneticists reveals a lack of evidence that inter-breeding between modern human immigrants to Southeast Asia and Homo erectus occurred,[1] affirming that the Thai descended from Africans in accordance with the Recent single-origin hypothesis.[2] Neolithic (8,000 - 3,000 B.C.E.) New Stone Age. The Neolithic or "New" Stone Age designates a period in the development of human technology traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age. The Neolithic era follows the terminal Holocene Epipalaeolithic periods, beginning with the rise of farming, which produced the "Neolithic Revolution" and ending when metal tools became widespread in the Copper Age (Chalcolithic) or Bronze Age or developing directly into the Iron Age, depending on geographical region. Domestication. Neolithic culture appeared in many parts of Thailand, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani around 9000 B.C.E. People pioneered wild cereal use, which then

evolved into traditional farming. Early Neolithic farming had been limited to a narrow range of crops, both wild and domesticated, which included betel, bean, pea, nut, pepper, cucumber and domesticated cattle and pigs.[3] The period marked the establishment of permanently or seasonally inhabited settlements and the use of pottery. In Southeast Asia, the independent domestication events led to their own regionally-distinctive Neolithic cultures which arose completely independent of those in other parts of the world. The Neolithic settlements in Thailand Spiritual Cave. Spirit Cave designates an archaeological site in Pang Mapha district, Mae Hong Son Province, north-western Thailand. The Hoabinhian hunter and gatherer from North Vietnam occupied the area from 9000 B.C.E. until 5500 B.C.E. Spirit cave dates to the Neolithic or New Stone Age, a period in the development of human. The site, located at an elevation of 650 meters above sea level on a hillside, overlooks the Salween River. Wang Bhodi. Wang Bhodi (Thai: ), the name for an archaeological site in Saiyok district, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand, dates from 4500 B.C.E. till 3000 B.C.E. Many stone tools have been found in the caves and along the Rivers in that region since World War II. Bronze Age (3000 B.C.E. - 500 B.C.E.) Copper and Bronze Age. The Bronze Age denotes a period in the civilization's development when the most advanced metalworking consisted of techniques for smelting copper and tin from naturally occurring outcroppings of ore, and then alloying those metals in order to cast bronze. Claims of an earlier appearance of tin bronze in Thailand in the fifth millennium B.C.E. surfaced during excavation of the Ban Chiang site.

Ban Chiang Ban Chiang Dating. The first dating of the artifacts using the thermoluminescence technique resulted in a range from 4420 B.C.E.-3400 B.C.E., which would have made the site the earliest Bronze Age culture in the world. Excavations in the 1974 and 1975 unearthed items suitable for radiocarbon dating. According to the radiocarbon dating tests, the earliest grave has been dated around 2100 B.C.E., with the latest about 200 C.E. Bronze making began circa 2000 B.C.E., as evidenced by crucibles and bronze fragments. Bronze objects include bracelets, rings, anklets, wires and rods, spearheads, axes and adzes, hooks, blades, and little bells.[4] The radiocarbon dating has called into question the long held belief of Ban Chiang dating to the Neolithic age. Artifacts Smuggled. The site again made headlines in January of 2008 when several California museums had been found to possess numerous artifacts illegally purchased. The plot involved smuggling the items to the country and then donating them to the museums to claim large tax write offs. Reports indicated that the museums housed more items from Ban Chiang than remained at the site itself. High profile police raids brought the scheme to light after a National Park Service agent had posed under cover as a private collector. The artifacts will be returned to Thailand. "Ban Chiang Ware" Ceramic Jar (4000-1000 B.C.E.) Current Discussion. An article by Chester Gorman and Pisit Charoenwongsa, claiming evidence for the earliest dates in the world for bronze casting and iron working, followed the excavation at Ban Chiang in

1974 and 1975. That led to an at times acrimonious debate between those who accepted those dates, and those who rejected them. Subsequent excavations, including that at Ban Non Wat, have shown as unsupportable the proposed early dates for Ban Chiang. Secondary literature still repeats the early claims. Iron Age (300 C.E.) The Iron Age designates the age in which people used iron tools and weapons. People made tools from bronze before they figured out how to make them from iron because iron has a higher melting point than bronze. The adoption of iron often coincided with other changes including development of agricultural techniques, religious beliefs and artistic styles. Archaeological sites in Thailand, such as None Nok Tha, Lopburi Artillery center, Ong Ba Cave and Ban Don Ta Phet show iron implements in the period between 3,400 - 1,700 years ago. The Iron Age settlements in Thailand


None Nok Tha

None Nok Tha designates an archaeological site in Phu Wiang district, Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand, dating from 1420 B.C.E. till 50 B.C.E.


Lopburi Artillery center

Lopburi Artillery center refers to an archaeological site in Mueang district, Lopburi Province, northeastern Thailand, dating from 1225 B.C.E. till 700 B.C.E.


Ong Ba Cave

Ong Ba Cave (Thai: ), an archaeological site in Sri Sawat district, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand, dates from 310 B.C.E. till 150 B.C.E.


Ban Don Ta Phet

Ban Don Ta Phet (Thai: ) refers to an archaeological site in Phanom Thuan district, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand, dating from 24 B.C.E. till 276 C.E. The area of Phanom Thuan had already been occupied since prehistoric times. At the archaeological site of Ban Don Ta Phet, many artifacts had been found in a fourth century cemetery, which prove trade relations with India, Vietnamand the Philippines.