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Ban Chiang
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ban Chiang Archaeological Site* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| State Party |  Thailand |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii |
| Reference | 575 |
| Region† | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription History | |
| Inscription | 1992 (16th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
|
Ban Chiang (Thai: บ้านเชียง) is an archeological site located in Nong Han district, Udon Thani Province, Thailand. It is listed in the UNESCO world heritage list since 1992.
Discovered in 1957 it attracted enormous publicity due to attractive red painted pottery. The first scientific excavation was made in 1967 and uncovered several skeletons together with bronze grave gifts. Rice fragments have also been found, which prove that the Bronze Age settlement was made by farmers. The oldest graves found contain no bronze and are therefore from a Neolithic culture; the latest ones are from the Iron Age.
The first datings of the artifacts using the thermoluminescence technique resulted in 4420 BC-3400 BC dates, which would have made the site the earliest ever Bronze Age culture of the world. However, with the 1974/75 excavation enough material for radiocarbon dating became available, which resulted in much later dates - the earliest grave was about 2100 BC, the latest about AD 200. Bronze making began circa 2000 BC, 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.
- Higham, Charles, Prehistoric Thailand, ISBN 974-8225-30-5, pp 84-88
- The Ban Chiang project at the University of Pennsylvania
- Ban Chiang gallery at the University of Hawai'i
- UNESCO world heritage listing
NOTE: The excavation at Ban Chiang in 1974-5 was followed by an article by Chester Gorman and Pisit Charoenwongsa, claiming evidence for the earliest dates in the world for bronze casting and iron working. This led to an at times acrimonious debate, between those who accepted these dates, and those who did not. Subsequent excavations, including that at Ban Non Wat, have now shown that the proposed early dates for Ban Chiang are unacceptable. However, the early claims are still repeated in the secondary literature.
Gorman, C.F. and Charoenwongsa, P. 1976. Ban Chiang: A mosaic of impressions from the first two years. Expedition 8(4):14-26.