An archaeometallurgical study of iron production in Ban Kruat, lower Northeast Thailand : technology and social development from the Iron Age to the Imperial Angkorian Khmer (fifth century BC - fifteenth century AD)
Iron has long been regarded as a crucial element facilitating at least two key activities at the centre of the economic and political history of lower Northeast Thailand from the Iron Age (500BC-AD500) to the fall of Angkor in AD1453: agriculture and construction of water conservation. Both sectors are thought to have been mechanisms manipulated by local and regional elites to generate and maintain wealth and power. Building upon this claim, iron production may have also had a major socioeconomic role in society. However, despite many side references to the abundance of iron-related remains in the archaeological record, little is known about the primary production of iron and its spatial distribution in this region, and the evidence has rarely been explored to its full potential to construct arguments from a technological and craft production point of view. To better our understanding of this industry and its role in the broader cultural landscape of lower Northeast Thailand, this thesis focused on iron production remains. Slag, technical ceramics, and laterite fragments (possible ore) found at slag deposits in Ban Kruat in Buriram province, and broadly dated from the Iron Age to the Angkorian Khmer period,
Venunan, P.
An archaeometallurgical study of iron production in Ban Kruat, lower Northeast Thailand : technology and social development from the Iron Age to the Imperial Angkorian Khmer (fifth century BC - fifteenth century AD). Iron has long been regarded as a crucial element facilitating at least two key activities at the centre of the economic and political history of lower Northeast Thailand from the Iron Age (500BC-AD500) to the fall of Angkor in AD1453: agriculture and construction of water conservation. Both sectors are thought to have been mechanisms manipulated by local and regional elites to generate and maintain wealth and power. Building upon this claim, iron production may have also had a major socioeconomic role in society. However, despite many side references to the abundance of iron-related remains in the archaeological record, little is known about the primary production of iron and its spatial distribution in this region, and the evidence has rarely been explored to its full potential to construct arguments from a technological and craft production point of view. To better our understanding of this industry and its role in the broader cultural landscape of lower Northeast Thailand, this thesis focused on iron production remains. Slag, technical ceramics, and laterite fragments (possible ore) found at slag deposits in Ban Kruat in Buriram province, and broadly dated from the Iron Age to the Angkorian Khmer period,
archaeometallurgical study iron_production ban low northeast thailand technology social_development iron age imperial fifteenth_century iron long regard crucial_element facilitate least_two key activity centre economic_political history low northeast thailand iron_age bc_ad fall agriculture construction water conservation sector think mechanisms manipulate local_regional elite generate maintain wealth_power building_upon claim iron_production may_also major socioeconomic role society however_despite many side reference abundance iron related remain archaeological_record little_known primary production iron spatial_distribution region evidence rarely explore full_potential construct argument technological craft_production point_view well industry role broader cultural_landscape lower northeast thailand focus iron_production remain slag technical_ceramic fragment possible ore find slag deposit ban province broadly dated iron age period