Udon Thani and Ban Chiang

Udon Thani…….Udon Thani is one of the northeast provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It is bordered by the provinces of Nong Khai to the north, Sakon Nakhon to the east, Khon Kaen to the south and Loei to the west. The provincial capital is Udon Thani, the first city in Udon Thani.
Little is known about Udon Thani until the Bangkok era when as a result of an uprising in the 1820’s a Siamese force with local militia subdued a force of Laotian troops. As we can see from local history superbly represented at the Ban Chiang Visitor Centre the area was settled by the Lao Puan from the north. As a result of hostilities, a military base was set up at Nong Bua Lampu and the origins of Udon Thani were created from a rural settlement know as Ban Mak-kaeng. Udon Thani rose to prominence during the Vietnam War with the establishment of a military base by US forces. This was eventually handed over to the Thai military. Today Udon Thani is a thriving provincial city but arguably its most important asset is the discovery of an ancient civilisation at Ban Chiang which threw the then believed history of human development on its head.
Wat Pho Sri Nai Archaeological Excavation Pit

Wat Pho Sri Nai Archaeological Excavation Pit

Visitor Centre at Ban Chiang Archeological Site

Ban Chiang Archeological Site…….As indicated the Ban Chiang Archeological Site has become an important source in the study of human civiisations. As a result of accidental but fortuitous finds in the area it became protected under the Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums Act of 1961 and subsequent Acts. This has allowed extensive excavations to be carried out with some amazing discoveries. Most significant is the huge haul of pottery which by their design and production techniques and from carbon dating has allowed accurate dating of the site. This reveals that the area was occupied for a very long time during a period when the landscape was very different from the dry arid plateau it is today. However what completely baffled the establishment was the dating of finds from around 3600BC. The size of the settlement at Ban Chiang and at various other locations on the Khorat Plateau made it the earliest of its kind and dismissed previous thinking that the area had become settled from other civilisations e.g. in India or China. Such was the scale and importance of this discovery that it swiftly became adopted as a UNESCO site of special historical significance. Today the site is reinforced by the construction of a visitor centre and museum. A visit to the centre is thoroughly worthwhile if you are in the area. It will take a good part of the day to really take in what the exhibits represent and to appreciate the various stages of occupation at Ban Chiang. The museum itself is beautifully laid out easing the visitor through time and space. It shows graphically what the landscape was like in those early days and by comparison with today explains why the civilisation died out. In a separate building there is an exhibition of Thai Puan culture and practices in more recent times and how it fits into the modern world we see today. Nearby is the Wat Pho Sri Nai excavation pit. No less significant this site is within the grounds of a temple with that name which may account for the excellent preservation of the site. The small visitor centre charges a modest entrance fee. From what has survived at Ban Chiang an amazing link in the story of human civilisation has been put in place. How much more we may have learnt from what had disappeared from the site before its protection one can only wonder. For more information start at the UNESCO website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/575.