 Excavation at Ban Non wat | |
  Location in Thailand | |
| Location | Non Sung district, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 15°16′28″N 102°16′08″E / 15.27444°N 102.26889°E |
| Type | Human settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Charles Higham |
Ban Non Wat is a village in Thailand, in the Non Sung district, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, located near the small city of Phimai. It has been the subject of excavation since 2002. The cultural sequence encompasses 11 prehistoric phases, which include 640 burials.[1] The site is associated with consistent occupation, and in modern-day Ban Non Wat the occupied village is located closer to the Mun River.[2]
Excavations show that people were occupying the region during the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages.[3] This unique sequence has been proven by 76 radiocarbon determinations treated with Bayesian analyses.[1][4] Bayesian analysis is the use of Bayesian statistics to calibrate radiocarbon dates to receive a more accurate date.[5] Soil in the Ban Non Wat area may displace the Bayesian analysis.[2] These reveal that the initial Neolithic settlement took place in the 17th century BC, while the Bronze Age began in the late 11th century BC. The transition into the Iron Age took place in about 420 BC.[1]
Because of disagreements about the dating and environment surrounding Ban Non Wat, questions concerning the meanings of artifacts from the digs have been raised by Doctor Joyce White. She argues that precautions weren't taken during the process of collecting dates for the site, so results of dating aren't trustworthy.[2]
The excavations have been run by Charles Higham, and now by Dr. Nigel Chang and are partially funded by the Earthwatch institute. They are considered by some to be amongst the richest archaeological digs under current excavation.
- ^ a b c Higham, C. F. W. (2011). The Bronze Age of Southeast Asia: New insight on social change from Ban Non Wat. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 21(3), 365-389.
- ^ a b c White, Joyce (October 2015). "Comment on 'Debating a great site: Ban Non Wat and the wider prehistory of Southeast Asia'". Antiquity. 89 (347): 1230–1232. doi:10.15184/aqy.2015.109. ISSN 0003-598X. S2CID 163037505.
- ^ Harris, N.J.; Tayles, N. (June 2012). "Burial containers – A hidden aspect of mortuary practices: Archaeothanatology at Ban Non Wat, Thailand". Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. 31 (2): 227–239. doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2012.01.001. ISSN 0278-4165.
- ^ Higham, Charles; Higham, Thomas (2009-03-01). "A new chronological framework for prehistoric Southeast Asia, based on a Bayesian model from Ban Non Wat". Antiquity. 83 (319): 125–144. doi:10.1017/s0003598x00098136. ISSN 0003-598X. S2CID 162486392.
- ^ Otárola-Castillo, Erik; Torquato, Melissa G. (2018-10-21). "Bayesian Statistics in Archaeology". Annual Review of Anthropology. 47 (1): 435–453. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-102317-045834. ISSN 0084-6570. S2CID 149644804.