Thailand the Cradle of Civilization?

[tingtongtingtong]

Is Thailand the 'cradle of civilization'? or more specifically did the bronze age begin in Thailand?

Please view the below links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6OE0YrDiA

http://penn.museum/banchiang/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/2008_white_bougon.pdf

http://www.csmngt.com/Thailand_History_bronze_age_1511.htm

Has anyone read:

Thailand: Land of the Rice Bowl and a Cradle of Civilization by Singkhom Borisut, Julthusna Byaghranonda and Chamnong Pakaworawuth.

I find this topic extremely interesting but can't find any concrete info as such, though my search as been minimum to date - just thought I'd throw it out there on TV

cheers

[Costas2008]

"Did the bronze age begin in Thailand?"

May be........but still carries on

[ABCer]

I think the answer to OP question should be 'yes'. Simply by virtue of the fact that Thais are the 'babies' of civilization. Given sufficient time the baby will grow into a toddler... It is a long and bumpy road... Bon voyage.

[mimithewoof]

Interesting links - but the Chinese excavations at Erlitou confirm the reality of the Xia (pre Shang) dynasty's mastery of bronze casting. The dynasty ran from BC 2100 to the beginning of the Shang in BC1600 and, prior to the Erlitou discoveries, Xia was perceived by scholars to be legendary rather than actual. The start date of the Xia corresponds roughly with that of the earliest, fragmentary Thai discoveries.

The design originality and sheer size of the Shang royal bronze vessels with their high-relief decoration suggest their Xia precursors would have been far ahead of any bronze casting in southeast Asia around the same time. It's now known that traders travelled all over the continent and beyond far earlier than was previously believed, and the casting techniques in use in northern China could easily have been transferred in a simpler form to Thailand.

[Thai at Heart]

If it did, Wonderful.

Resting on one's laurels is a sin also.