A general outline of attractions in upper Isaan/ Vientiane for those who have never been (and for those who know the region well, please allow for edits beyond author control): http://www.tigertales.sg/features/2007/may...time_visit.html

Now why would you post that link ?

Naka.

Now why would you post that link ?

Naka.

'Cos I wrote it and I thought people may be interested in learning something?

I did.

Your young Harvard student stumbled upon a 7000 year old relic

(ie manufactured 5000 BCE)

According to your Mr/Mrs/Ms White , settlers arrived in the area 4000 BCE.

Therefore the "relic' must have been manufactured by aliens.

How could you have missed this ?

Well - of course the aliens wanted to keep it a secret .... can't go scaring skeptical earthlings like some Thai Visa suspects such as Say Farang!

Possible evidence as presented by Harvard, American Museum of Natural History in New York City. UNESCO, the odd story by rags such as TIME magazine - could be on to something.... my short story is an intro to the modern-day region based on known information to-date ----- if anyone is interested .........

Not all specialists agree with White's assessment of the Ban Chiang discoveries. Harvard Anthropologist Robert Maddin believes that Ban Chiang metalworking techniques were imported. Says he: "Most physical scientists tend to come down in support of diffusion rather than independent invention." Curator White politely demurs: "The Ban Chiang people had a very sophisticated metallurgical tradition that apparently developed independently." On one point, though, all are agreed. Says Archaeologist Bayard: "In Southeast Asia, as elsewhere, prehistoric man was considerably more clever than we tend to acknowledge."

MY POINT EXACTLY! Can we please proceed with a logical discussion?