Stepping into the Itsarawinitchai Hall of the National Museum Bangkok, visitors will feel like travelling back in time to the pre- and early historic periods of present-day Thailand at the "From Village To Early State: The Transformation Of Culture In Our Land" exhibition which will run until the end of this month.
The exhibition depicts the development of people, society and culture in the form of communities and early states on the land that is contemporary Thailand since the Iron Age. It is classified into five sections -- "From Village To Early Stage", "Early States In Thailand And In The Foreigners' Eyes", "Beliefs And Religions", "The Linking Of World Trade between The East And The West", and "Early Ancient States In Thailand".
"To mark Thai Heritage Conservation Day [on April 2], the Culture Ministry's Fine Arts Department and the Committee for Thai Heritage Conservation Day are hosting the special exhibition about the stories of peoples, communities, towns, societies and diverse cultures on present-day Thailand during the transition period between the late prehistoric [Iron Age] and early historic period. This is the next of the same series following the 'Early Man Of Our Land' exhibition in 2016," Fine Arts Department director-general Anandha Chuchoti remarked.
More than 300 selected artefacts found at archaeological sites across Thailand, including a bronze lamp from Pong Tuk in Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi, a bronze peacock from Ban Don Ta Phet in Phanom Thuan, Kanchanaburi, and a bronze cakra (discus) found at Khao Si Wichai in Phuphin, Surat Thani, are on show here.
A Hindu god statue.
Entering the "From Village To Early State" zone, you can see some bronze objects, stone beads and jewellery dating to the late prehistoric period. The land which is now Thailand stands in the heart of Southeast Asia between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Prehistoric human settlements began here in the Stone Age. Communities were found near and along river valleys starting around 2 millennia ago in consequence of the neolithic revolution which led to an increase in population. Bronze and iron making began. Inter- and intra-regional trade and exchange were common with a variety of goods, such as bronze items from China and Vietnam and semi-precious stone beads and jewellery from India. Such goods have been found at archaeological sites across Thailand. At the exhibition, you can see Ling-Ling-O earrings found at Khao Sek in Chumphon, the bronze peacock from Kanchanaburi and etched beads from Ban Don Ta Phet in Kanchanaburi.
Contact and trade with India and China became more intensive during the protohistoric period (1st-5th century AD). Some Indian and Chinese traders established their colonies here, while indigenous people adopted Hinduism and Buddhism as well as Indic cultures and political regimes. The upper class who ruled their autonomous polities became kings. Many settlements evolved into urban centres and towns, such as U Thong in Suphan Buri, Tha Kae in Lop Buri, Pong Tuk in Kanchanaburi and Khuan Lukphat in Krabi. These towns served as hubs and port cities linked to the maritime Silk Road trade network that paved the foundation for the emergence of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Stepping into "The Early States In Thailand And In The Foreigners' Eyes" section, you can see one of the exhibition's highlights -- the bronze Roman lamp from Kanchanaburi. The zone depicts the emergence of several ancient towns in Southeast Asia during the protohistoric period as a result of long-distance trade and contact with foreigners. These foreigners brought in new technology, concepts and goods, leading to changes and cultural development.
Overseas visitors, including the Chinese, Persians, Indians, Greeks and Romans, played a major role in the formation of state-level societies in Southeast Asia between the 1st and the 6th century. Foreign written records mention the names of cities they visited in their respective language. The name Suvarnabhumi was mentioned in several Indian epics referring to the land of gold (prosperous land) that attracted foreign traders, visitors and missionaries from various countries. The contact between indigenous people in Thailand and foreigners was confirmed by archaeological remains found all over Thailand, including Roman glass beads in Phangnga, Roman silver coins in Suphan Buri and stucco faces of foreigners in Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom, which are shown at the exhibition.
The next section is dedicated to stories about the "Linking Of World Trade Between The East And The West". Chinese ceramics and non-local glass fragments found in Phangnga's Thung Tuk and Surat Thani's Laem Pho confirmed Greek, Roman, Chinese and Southwest Asian documents. The records say traders from Southwest Asia who sailed to East Asia had to stop in Southeast Asian ports during monsoons. Meanwhile, overseas traders brought major trading goods, such as glazed ceramics from Basra, Iraq, and silk and porcelain from China. Persians and Arabs travelled to China through Southeast Asia, while Indian and Sri Lankan traders acted as middlemen for the exchange of goods between the West and the East. Remnants from the "Phanom-Surin Shipwreck" discovered at a site between the Tha Chin and Chao Phraya river deltas in Samut Sakhon in 2013 constitute another highlight. This Arab-style wooden ship is 25m long and dates to the 7th/8th century.
When it was found, it still contained indigenous earthenware, Chinese glazed ceramics, Persian Gulf wares, Amphora vessels, ropes, a grinding stone and a coconut shell laden.
Another interesting zone is called "Beliefs And Religions". The earliest religious belief in Thailand was animism, by which prehistoric people believed in life after death. About 1,500 years ago, Buddhism and Hinduism were later brought from India to the land which is now Thailand. Numerous images of the Lord Buddha and other forms of figures relating to Buddhism, as well as statues of Hindu deities and religious objects, such as linga (a symbol of Hindu god Shiva), were discovered in Thailand. Among those on view at the exhibition are a stone linga from the Shiva Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a bronze cakra from Khao Srivijaya, Surat Thani, the head of a Phra Bodhisattva Maitreya statue from Khao Thamorat, Phetchabun, and a bronze statue of Phra Bodhisattva Maitreya found at Ban Fai, Buri Ram.
The last section is entitled "Early Ancient States In Thailand". This land is home to diverse ethnic groups that developed into large communities. The abundance of resources plays an important role in the formation of early states in Thailand, which were influenced by Indian and Chinese culture in the 6th and 7th centuries. Dvaravati was the earliest ancient state in Thailand. Some of the silver coins inscribed with the word "Sri Dvaravatisvara" found at sites in Thailand are shown at the exhibition. Dvaravati towns stood close to major rivers and the Dvaravati state grew out of maritime trade. Buddhism was the main religion, while Hinduism was widely respected.
Other ancient states include Chenla, Sri Canasa, Lavo (Lavapura) and Srivijaya. Lavo (Lavapura), for example, was indicated in Sanskrit on a silver coin, flourishing in the 12th century under the control of the ancient Khmer Kingdom. Srivijaya was established in the 9th century and mentioned in Chinese, Arab and ancient Thai texts. Scholars believe its hub was situated in present-day Chaiya, Surat Thani. It developed due to maritime trade with major religions being Buddhism and Hinduism. However, its importance declined in the 14th century after the course of trade switched from the trans-peninsular route to sailing around the Malay Peninsula. At the exhibition, visitors can see relics relating to these ancient states, such as the silver coin mentioned above.
In brief, this exhibition fits both history buffs and tourists who have limited time, but wish to learn and know more about the history and development of present-day Thailand.
The exhibition is open Wednesdays-Sundays from 9am to 4pm at the National Museum Bangkok on Na Phra That Road near Sanam Luang. Call 02-224-1333.
A bronze lamp from Pong Tuk in Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi.
A stucco bas-relief depicting a Jataka tale dating from the Dvaravati Period (7th-9th century) found in Nakhon Pathom.
A bronze cakra (discus) found at Khao Si Wichai in Phuphin, Surat Thani, is on display along with a stucco cakra.
Buddha statues and other Buddhist items.
Stoneware, earthenware and other objects found at the Phanom-Surin Arab-style shipwreck site in Samut Sakhon.
