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Prehistoric Era

The Prehistoric Era

By far the most important archaeological discoveries confirming these ancient people were made in the tiny village of Ban Chiang near Udon Thani in the north-east. Systematic excavation of Ban Chiang began only two decades ago, revealing painted pottery, jewelry, bronze and iron tools. Settlement began about 3600 B.C. and lasted until about 250 B.C. The Ban Chiang people farmed rice, domesticated their animals, and were skilled potters.

But even before human beings roamed the north-eastern plateau, the region was once home to a more ancient species of animal - the dinosaurs. In 1984, fossils from plant-eating dinosaurs were found in Phu Wiang province, and was named Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, while a more recent fossil discovery unearthed the Siamotyrannus isanensis, a fierce meat-eating ancestor of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.

Over the centuries, the area was influenced by various cultures, from the Indians in the 3rd Century, the Mons between the 6th to the 11th centuries, and the Khmers who built the wondrous Angkor Wat and who also left their legacy in the form of numerous stone sanctuaries scattered across the Thai kingdom. Thailand's dominant culture is believed to have arrived with tribes who moved down from southern China almost a thousand years ago. They settled in what is now northern Thailand before expanding south to the rich plains and valleys, gradually asserting their independence from existing Khmer and Mon kingdoms.