Prehistoric copper production and technological reproduction in the Khao Wong Prachan Valley of central Thailand
Employing a technological approach derived from the âAnthropology of Technologyâ theoretical literature, this thesis concerns the identification and explanation of change in prehistoric extractive metallurgical behaviour in the Khao Wong Prachan Valley of central Thailand. The âValleyâ metallurgical complex, amongst the largest in Eurasia, constitutes Southeast Asiaâs only documented industrial-scale copper-smelting evidence. The two smelting sites investigated, Non Pa Wai and Nil Kham Haeng, provide an interrupted but analytically useful sequence of metallurgical consumption and production evidence spanning c. 1450 BCE to c. 300 CE. The enormous quantity of industrial waste at these sites suggests they were probably major copper supply nodes within ancient Southeast Asian metal exchange networks. Excavated samples of mineral, technical ceramic, and slag from Non Pa Wai and Nil Kham Haeng were analysed in hand specimen, microstructurally by reflected-light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemically by polarising energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry ([P]ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Resulting
Pryce, T. O.
Prehistoric copper production and technological reproduction in the Khao Wong Prachan Valley of central Thailand. Employing a technological approach derived from the âAnthropology of Technologyâ theoretical literature, this thesis concerns the identification and explanation of change in prehistoric extractive metallurgical behaviour in the Khao Wong Prachan Valley of central Thailand. The âValleyâ metallurgical complex, amongst the largest in Eurasia, constitutes Southeast Asiaâs only documented industrial-scale copper-smelting evidence. The two smelting sites investigated, Non Pa Wai and Nil Kham Haeng, provide an interrupted but analytically useful sequence of metallurgical consumption and production evidence spanning c. 1450 BCE to c. 300 CE. The enormous quantity of industrial waste at these sites suggests they were probably major copper supply nodes within ancient Southeast Asian metal exchange networks. Excavated samples of mineral, technical ceramic, and slag from Non Pa Wai and Nil Kham Haeng were analysed in hand specimen, microstructurally by reflected-light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemically by polarising energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry ([P]ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Resulting
prehistoric copper_production technological reproduction valley central thailand employing technological derive anthropology technology theoretical literature_concern identification explanation change prehistoric extractive metallurgical behaviour valley central thailand valley metallurgical complex amongst large eurasia constitute southeast_asia document industrial scale copper_smelting evidence smelt_site investigate non provide interrupt analytically useful sequence metallurgical consumption production evidence span bce enormous quantity industrial waste site suggest probably major copper supply node within ancient southeast_asian metal exchange_network excavated sample mineral technical_ceramic slag non analyse hand specimen light_microscopy scan_electron_microscopy sem polarise energy_dispersive x_ray_fluorescence spectrometry xrf scan_electron microscopy_energy dispersive ray_fluorescence spectrometry sem_eds