The pottery, remains, and tools on display at the Ban Chiang museum date back as far as 3,600 B.C. They tell the story of an ancient culture, skilled in pottery, metal working, jewelry making, and with unique customs and rituals.

According to an article on wikipedia, the archeological findings revealed much about these peoples’ way of life:

At least 142 discrete burials were found in the 1974-1975 excavations. Analysis of the human remains by Michael Pietrusewsky and Michele Toomay Douglas revealed that the people lived a vigorous and active lifestyle with little evidence of interpersonal violence or any form of warfare.The subsistence was based on mixed agricultural/hunting/gathering economy, co-occurring with metallurgy.^[8] The conclusion that the centuries-long occupation of the site was largely peaceful is bolstered by the lack of metal weapons.^[6]

 

What Ban Chiang is most famous for, however, is their vast collection of ancient pottery, which is fascinatingly reminiscent of ancient Native American artwork. The pottery is made of clay, and is red-painted with beautifully intricate designs and patterns.

For those interested in visiting this cultural wonder, the museum is about 50 kilometers from the city, and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 09:00 A.M. to 04:00 P.M. Admission for foreigners is 150 Thai Baht, a relatively small price to pay for such an unforgettable experience.

(Images courtesy of wikimedia images. Source: commons.wikimedia.org)

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The Killing Fields (or “Choeung Ek) in Phnom Phen, Cambodia have a dark and bloody history. Located about 17 kilometers from the city center, this was the burial site for the thousands of innocent victims tortured and executed during the Khmer Rouge genocide, which lasted from 1975 to 1979. According to the historical accounts, men, women, and children were forced from their homes and imprisoned in concentration camps, where they were tortured into giving the names of anyone they knew before many of them were driven to sites like this one, murdered, and thrown into mass graves.

The story of the Cambodian genocide, as horrible as it is, serves as a lesson and example for us in the present, and today the Killing Fields and the nearby Toul Sleng Prison are open to the public.

It’s certainly very educational, and definitely worth a visit, but it is perhaps a bit grim for those with younger children.

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Besides the main structure, the temple has large stone steps leading up the mountain to other ancient ruins, including the stone sculptures of an elephant and an alligator. The stone alligator is particularly infamous, as it is rumored to be the site of annual human sacrifices, as mentioned in some Chinese texts from the 6th century. The fact that the shape of the alligator sculpture resembles the stretched out form of a human being further indicates the possibility of this.

Wat Phu is also rather impressive architecturally, with the corrior walls of the norther palace being laterite, and the southern palace being made of sandstone. As it is a Khmer style temple, the site is plentiful with scultpures and images depicting figures from the Hindu religion, inlcuding Krishna, Kaliya, Indra, Airavata, Vishnu and Garuda.

Today the site is open to the general public for religious activities as well as a tourist location from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., and the price of admittance is 50,000 Lao kip for tourists and 20,000 Lao kip for locals. The temple also has a museum nearby, where other ancient items, sculptures, and architectural pieces are kept on display, including statues of Shiva, Vishnu and Nandin, as well as some Buddhist statues.

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