Ban Chiang - Thailand

SLiew sent me this card of the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site a few weeks ago. Ban Chiang was one of my thai Unesco missing sites. Ban Chiang is an archaeological site in the Udon Thani Province of Thailand. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

It was a Bronze Age village and a cemetery site and is known for its fine ceramics. Prior to 1967 Ban Chiang was a small village of 200 people who often unearthered pottery shards, iron and bronze tools and even bones as they farmed the area. Excavations began in 1967 and unearthed bones, pots and tools dating back to 3600BC. This was the cause of great excitements as prior to the discovery it was thought that the Bronze Age had originated in Mesopotamia.
The distinctive pottery discovered in Ban Chiang is painted in red on buff backgrounds in swirls and bands, showing a remarkable degree of artistry. The manufacture of the earthenware pots shows four distinct eras, the earliest being 3600-2500BC. The best pieces were made between 300BC and 200 AD. The area now offers a National Museum, a reconstruction of a ‘dig’ and an excavated burial area. - in: http://www.heritagetraveller.com/asia-world-heritage-site/thailand/ban-chiang/