BanChing Museum

2010-08-15T15:38:00.003+07:00

Ban Chiang (Thai: แหล่งโบราณคดี บ้านเชียง) is an archeological site located in Nong Han district, Udon Thani Province, Thailand. It has been on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1992.

Ban Chiang pottery in the Museum für Indische Kunst, Berlin-Dahlem

   Ban Chiang pottery in the Museum für Indische Kunst, Berlin-DahlemDiscovered in 1966, the site attracted enormous publicity due to its attractive red painted pottery. Villagers had uncovered some of the pottery in prior years without insight into its age or historical importance. In August 1966 Steve Young, an anthropology and government student at Harvard College, was living in the village conducting interviews for his senior honors thesis. Young, a speaker of Thai, was familiar with the work of William Solheim and his theory of possible ancient origins of civilization in Southeast Asia. One day while walking down a path in Ban Chiang with his assistant, an art teacher in the village school, Young tripped over a root of a tree Kapok and fell on his face in the dirt path. Under him were the exposed tops of pottery jars of small and medium sizes. Young recognized that the firing techniques used to make the pots were very rudimentary but that the designs applied to the surface of the vessels were unique and wonderful. He took samples of pots to Princess Phanthip Chumbote who had the private museum of Suan Pakkad in Bangkok and to Chin Yu Di of the Thai Government's Fine Arts Department

Later, Elisabeth Lyons, an art historian on the staff of the Ford Foundation, sent sherds from Ban Chiang to the University of Pennsylvania for dating.

   During the first formal scientific excavation in 1967, several skeletons, together with bronze grave gifts, were unearthed. Rice fragments have also been found, leading to the belief that the Bronze Age settlers were probably farmers. The site's oldest graves do not include bronze artifacts and are therefore from a Neolithic culture; the most recent graves date to the Iron Age.

   The first datings of the artifacts using the thermoluminescence technique resulted in a range from 4420 BCE to 3400 BC, which would have made the site the earliest Bronze Age culture in the world. However, with the 1974/75 excavation, sufficient material became available for radiocarbon dating, which resulted in more recent dates—the earliest grave was about 2100 BC, the latest about 200 AD. 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.

Black ceramic jar, Ban Chiang culture, Thailand, 1200-800 BCE.

   The site again made headlines in January 2008 when thousands of artifacts from the Ban Chiang cultural tradition and other prehistoric traditions of Thailand were found to illegally be in several California museums and other locations. The plot involved smuggling the items to the country and then donating them to the museums in order to claim large tax write offs. There were said to be more items in the museums than at the site itself. This was brought to light during high profile raids conducted by the police after a National Park Service agent had posed under cover as a private collector. If the US government wins its case, which is likely to take several years of litigation, the artifacts are to be returned to Thailand.

   Udon Thani is a northeastern province covering an area of 15,589 square kilometres. The provincial capital is 562 kilometres northeast of Bangkok. Udon Thani is probably best known for its archaeological wonders, paramount among them the hamlet of theBan Chiang where the world's first Bronze Age civilisation is believed to have flourished more than 5,000 years ago

Art pottery.

Art pottery. Of the Ban Chiang. Can be divided into three age were.
   1. Contemporary pottery from 5600-3000 in the age pattern cord. It is estimated that cannabis is the Po. We also have designs scratches. And writing color shoulder The pair were put on skeleton Visit the mausoleum, some children with.
   2. Medieval pottery in 3000 -2300 years old today is the beginning of the session limit, and then painted red.
   3. Pottery in late 2300 -1800 year old with a modern design the perfect eccentric pattern reflects a peaceful society. Before becoming a red mud coating the water surface.

Accommodation and travel
Travel
Car :
   From Bangkok along Highway No. 1 (Phaholyothin) to Saraburi area of 107 km and turn right on Highway 2 (Mittraparp Road) via Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani and Khon Kaen 564 kms distance.

Train :
   State Railway of Thailand Train service between Bangkok - Udon Thani every day at the inquiry. Public Service travel The State Railway of Thailand Tel. 1690, 66 2220 4334, 66 2 223 7010, 66 2223 7020 http://www.railway.co.th/

Bus :
   The normal car and bus service. And air conditioning running between Bangkok - Udon Thani daily. Shopping from the bus terminal northeast Kamphaengphet (Mo Chit 2) For more information call the Transport Company Limited. 66 2936-2852-66 and Udon Thani Bus Terminal Tel. 66 4222 1489 http://www.transport.co.th/

Aircraft :
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (Thailand) air service between Bangkok - Udon Thani daily. For more information, please call. 1566,66 2628 2000 http://www.thaiairways.com/ and Nok Air. Open flight to Udon Thani Province everyday. For more information, please call. 1318 http://www.nokair.co.th/ Airlines and Air Asia Tel. 66 2515 9999 http://www.airasia.com/ In addition, the airline Tiger. Walking Airways from Singapore to Udon Thani. For more information, please call. 66 2351 8333 http://www.tigerairways.com/

Call Number :
   1.Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (Thailand) Tel. 66 4222 2845.
   2.Provincial Information Tel. 66 4222 3708.
   3.Provincial Tel. 66 4224 4252-3.
   4.Hospital Issues Medical call. 66 4234 3111.
   5.Camp Hospital manifest call. 66 4234 1710.
   6.Aek Udon Hospital Tel. 66 4234 2555.
   7.Police call to Udon Thani. 66 4222 2285.
   8.Udon Thani Railway Station Tel. 66 4222 2061.
   9.Bus Station Tel. 66 4222 1489.
   10.Udon Thani Province Tel. 66 4222 3304.

Accommodation
Hotel :

Ban_Chiang_Hotel

Ban-Chiang Hotel. Hotels Ban Chiang Udon Thani special saving convenience and safety.
Adress : 5 Mook-Montree Road.Sub-prime Markhang Muang Udon Thani Udon Thani 41000. Phone: 66 4232 7911-20, 66 2231 2204.

Home stay :

Ban-chiang Home stay :

For more information visit
Miss.Phongsi Sombutwiri
Address: 198 Moo 13 Ban Chiang, Ban Chiang, A. Han, Udon Thani 41320.
Phone: 66 42 - 235 - 001
Mobile: 6683 - 145-8026, 6689 - 577-7229, 668 9577 7229, 668 3145 8026.

Banchiang Museum

BanChing Museum