Looted Thai artifacts: Heritage comes home

[webfact]

LOOTED THAI ARTIFACTS
Heritage comes home
Phatarawadee Phataranawik
The Nation


Thai and US officers look at the returned artifacts.

More than 500 looted artefacts from prehistoric archaeological sites around Thailand are returned by the US Government

BANGKOK: -- For years, more than 500 artefacts including pottery, bronze tools, sandstone moulds and glass ornaments, have been offering a visual but illegal treat to visitors at the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California.

Now these items, almost all of them looted from Ban Chiang, an archaeological site in Thailand's Northeast, have been returned to their rightful home.

The 554 artefacts, some of which date back 5,000 years, were handed over to Thailand by the US government last Wednesday following almost a decade of investigation.

It is the most-significant return of ancient treasure since the Art Institute of Chicago returned the Narai Stone lintel 26 yeas ago.

All the artefacts have huge historical value.

"Cultural artefacts help form national identity. All of our countries are subject to these crimes. It's our priority to set that right. Today, nearly 700 artefacts have come back home, delivered into the hands of their rightful owners - the people of the Kingdom of Thailand," commented W Patrick Murphy, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy, during the hand-over ceremony at the National Museum Bangkok.

"All around the world, countries are open to these criminals, who steal and perpetuate this kind of cultural trade. Even in the United States we have been targetted by such crimes. Over the past seven years, nearly 7,000 items have been returned to some 30 countries around the world, including this region. It's very good news that today Thailand has joined those countries, retaking the ownership of artefacts that should never have left the Kingdom."

Four pottery pieces, dozens of glass bracelets, earrings and some bronze tools were on display at the ceremony. All were stolen from Ban Chiang, Udon Thani, a World Heritage Site. The pieces date back to as early as 1,500 BC.

Ban Chiang-style pottery is unique in appearance, with its characteristic brownish orange hue and circular, stylised pattern the most recognisable feature of the sophisticated civilisation of the earliest producers in Southeast Asia.

Culture Minister Vira Rojpochanarat explained that the returned artefacts are made up of 222 pieces of pottery, 197 bronze ornaments, 79 bronze instruments, 35 beads, 11 stone instruments and stone axes and 10 sandstone moulds

They were returned following the signing of a non-prosecution agreement with the US district attorney and are now being kept at the Kanjanapisek National Musuem in Pathum Thani.

"On behalf of the people of Thailand, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to the US government for their kind support in delivering the artefacts back to their rightful place. I would also like to extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the United States for their collaboration and affiliation which highly contributed to the success of the mission," Vira said.

Biravej Suwanpradhes, deputy director general of the Department of Information, added that the hand-over process began in mid-2009.

"The Royal Thai Consulate General in Los Angeles informed the Cultural Relations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the US Government's request that Thailand's Fine Arts Department sent experts to inspect and screen the artefacts at Bowers Museum," Biravej recalled.

In response, Biravij led two senior curators and a senior scientist from the Fine Arts Department to the US in September 2009 to inspect the artefacts together with archaeologists and officials from the US Attorney's Office. Results indicated that the artefacts were the cultural property of Thailand.

"During the three days of investigation, experts from both countries worked hard to identify a very large number of artefacts," Biravej explained, adding that the some items had probably been smuggled from other countries in Southeast Asia.

Satisfied that the artefacts did indeed belong to Thailand, the museum finally shipped them home in eight containers. They departed the US on August 24 and arrived in Thailand on October 2.

"Each and very one of these artefacts symbolises the rich history of the Thai people. While our historians are mostly aware of their origins and architectural style, their discovery allows us to study the style, technique of production, material and age which will greatly benefit archaeological art research," Vira noted.

The Fine Arts Department, through its Office of the National Museum, has checked the condition of the artefacts and has found that most of pottery vessels are damaged and cracked. Bronze equipment and tools have not been preserved and stains of dirt and rust have been found on the objects. Many of the tools have broken into separate parts and require repair by preservation scientists.

An initial inspection has indicated that most of the utensils, pottery, tools, tool moulds and ornaments made of earthenware, bronze, stone, glass and animal bones are from Ban Chiang but it is believed that some 25 to 30 per cent may have come from other prehistoric sites in the Northeast and the Central region.

"After conservation work, we will be taking some of them back to their place of origin," the culture minister concluded.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Heritage-comes-home-30248351.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-24

[ramrod711]

Culture Minister Vira Rojpochanarat explained that the returned artefacts are made up of 222 pieces of pottery, 197 bronze ornaments, 79 bronze instruments, 35 beads, 11 stone instruments and stone axes and 10 sandstone moulds

"After conservation work, we will be taking some of them back to their place of origin," the culture minister concluded.

I hate to be cynical but what does "place of origin" mean, will the artifacts be put back in the ground, will they build a museum, or will Somchai be selling his "culture" in the market?

[Bluespunk]

Elgin marbles anyone?

[wilcopops]

Good to see stuff being returned.

unfortunately my experience of museums, conservation and interpretation of artefacts in Thailand is that it is pretty poor.

I find historical interpretation in particular is terribly biased in favour of portraying a fanciful narrative of Thai history. I get the impression that museums are not aimed at helping people understand their past but glorifying certain aspects of history to justify successive modern regimes.

[jaltsc]

"For years, more than 500 artefacts including pottery, bronze tools, sandstone moulds and glass ornaments, have been offering a visual but illegal treat to visitors at the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California."

Are these artifacts going to be used as an educational tool to teach Thais about their history and heritage, or is it just a matter of national pride just to possess them. No artifacts should be excavated unless they are going to be researched and reexamined as techniques become more advanced, let alone dug up to the sole purpose of being displayed as works of art to make a profit for unscrupulous art dealers.

As a graduate student in anthropology/archeology years ago, I researched the early origins of rice domestication. At that time, the site of Non Nok Tha in northeast Thailand yielded the earliest signs of domesticated rice. However, when I asked Thais about this site, not one person had any idea what I was talking about. All the archeological work on the ancient Thai sites were conducted by westerners (Gorman, Bayard, Solheim, Parker, Young, et al). and their discoveries and research of these sites appear to have more educational interest in the west than they do in the country where they were discovered.

It would be beneficial for students to learn about their rich history and significance in worldwide prehistoric culture. Many of us make fun of how Thailand copies everything that is western and then pretends that they have Thai origins, yet they ignore what is truly Thai (or precursors to the Thai culture) and how advanced their prehistoric cultures were. Unfortunately, I doubt any of the teachers in Thai schools have an inkling of this history and are capable of teaching it. What a shame so many will never learn about the true origins of their culture.

Edited November 24, 2014 by jaltsc

[BuddhistVirus]

Culture Minister Vira Rojpochanarat explained that the returned artefacts are made up of 222 pieces of pottery, 197 bronze ornaments, 79 bronze instruments, 35 beads, 11 stone instruments and stone axes and 10 sandstone moulds

"After conservation work, we will be taking some of them back to their place of origin," the culture minister concluded.

I hate to be cynical but what does "place of origin" mean, will the artifacts be put back in the ground, will they build a museum, or will Somchai be selling his "culture" in the market?

Yes, that's a very baffling and disturbing statement indeed.

[wilcopops]

Bang Chiang is I believe a World Heritage site....but I found it rather disappointing on various levels - especially the history of the sit's discovery and development is incredibly biased. I also was somewhat disappointed to find "dual admission fee charges" on a site that has from the start received foreign aid and now I believe receives UNESCO funding.

I have little confidence that either the minister or the ministry have any idea of what they are doing or achieving what needs to be done.

I also get the impression that they are equating "conservation" with "repair" - with is a highly dubious approach.

I'm also concerned about the description of "damage" - was the US conservator so bad? or is this a reflection of the history of these artefacts in general? As with so many things in Thailand the nabobs overrule the experts and in this case could cause irreparable damage.

Edited November 24, 2014 by wilcopops

[AlQaholic]

The reporter and the officials try to make it sound like some foreigner came sneaking into the site and "looted" all these items.

The fact is more likely (although this is mere speculation) that the items where sold by local villagers and the people who where supposed to protect the site, little by little over a long period of time starting probably long before the site actually became an Archaeological site.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

[AlQaholic]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

Give back to who? Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka or India?

[wilcopops]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

one would have to separate myth and legend from fact first......i suspect some carbon dating and a bit of mineral analysis would help here.

Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either - each history is judged on its merit by the values of the time.

the difference nowadays is that the evidence and judgements made tend to be more scientifically based. not something that the Thai ministry of culture seems particularly famous for.

[wilcopops]

The reporter and the officials try to make it sound like some foreigner came sneaking into the site and "looted" all these items.

The fact is more likely (although this is mere speculation) that the items where sold by local villagers and the people who where supposed to protect the site, little by little over a long period of time starting probably long before the site actually became an Archaeological site.

you're making rather inaccurate assumptions here.

Archeological sites are notorious for plunder. there is a massive international market for this stuff - only a couple of year ago, Sotheby's - not for the first time - was hauled up for selling artefacts allegedly stolen from archeological sites in Cambodia.

Locals seldom appreciate the historical value of the stuff those foreigners are digging out of the mud - but when this foreigners start asking them to go digging and pay "stupid" money for old broken pots etc., the locals are only too happy to take part. Remember those artefacts have often been lying around on the surface of the ground for years. - The Bang Chiang site was allegedly discovered when a young archaeological student accidentally tripped over a pot sticking out of the ground.

The resulting black market is always propelled by outsiders....of course Thailand would probably make an ideal "hub"?

Edited November 24, 2014 by wilcopops

[AlQaholic]

The reporter and the officials try to make it sound like some foreigner came sneaking into the site and "looted" all these items.

The fact is more likely (although this is mere speculation) that the items where sold by local villagers and the people who where supposed to protect the site, little by little over a long period of time starting probably long before the site actually became an Archaeological site.

you're making rather inaccurate assumptions here.

Archeological sites are notorious for plunder. there is a massive international market for this stuff - only a couple of year ago, Sotheby's - not for the first time - was hauled up for selling artefacts allegedly stolen from archeological sites in Cambodia.

Locals seldom appreciate the historical value of the stuff those foreigners are digging out of the mud - but when this foreigners start asking them to go digging and pay "stupid" money for old broken pots etc., the locals are only too happy to take part. Remember those artefacts have often been lying around on the surface of the ground for years. - The Bang Chiang site was allegedly discovered when a young archaeological student accidentally tripped over a pot sticking out of the ground.

The resulting black market is always propelled by outsiders....of course Thailand would probably make an ideal "hub"?

I understand what you are saying and I agree completely. I just think that the site was never actually "discovered", it was there for the locals to loot long before and many of the items was probably lying around in the surrounding villages or used as kitchenware or whatever. Once the site became Archaeological however, villagers understood the value and started selling of what they had found previously, but I think the main source of "looted" artifacts would actually be somebody involved selling of this and that little by little over time.

Edited November 24, 2014 by AlQaholic

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

one would have to separate myth and legend from fact first......i suspect some carbon dating and a bit of mineral analysis would help here.

Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either - each history is judged on its merit by the values of the time.

the difference nowadays is that the evidence and judgements made tend to be more scientifically based. not something that the Thai ministry of culture seems particularly famous for.

"Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either" True, it could have been bought from overseas. But the the accepted history of this item says; In 1779, the Thai General Chao Phraya Chakri captured Vientiane and looted the Emerald Buddha to Siam, taking it with him to Thonburi. OK, its a very long time ago it happened, but I wonder what the people of Laos think about this?

[engr1dgf]

See the following link for a full story about the man that sold these artifacts to the museums.

http://chasingaphrodite.com/tag/bowers-museum/

[thedude82]

I wonder when Saudi Arabia will get back their "artifacts" that were stolen by Thailand?

[skildpadden]

OK you got your stuff back and rightly so. I believe all nations should have their heritage displayed in their country - when they are able to preserve, store, exhibit and communicate the artifacts in a proper and professional manner.

But please don't make it sound like all these bad Western archaeologists came and just "stole" all they could lay their hands on. I am rather convinced that because of this "looting", the Thais today actually have a preserved archaeological history to put on display.

Oh by the way, totally unrelated of course, but will you also return the artifacts that you have stolen from your neighbors during the years?

[DM07]

With the way, Thai- museums (mostly) are maintained and history is taught in Thailand, I guess these artifacts are better kept anywhere else, but here!

[mamypoko]

Returned? Isn't Santa Anna in Southeast Asia?

[wilcopops]

OK you got your stuff back and rightly so. I believe all nations should have their heritage displayed in their country - when they are able to preserve, store, exhibit and communicate the artifacts in a proper and professional manner.

But please don't make it sound like all these bad Western archaeologists came and just "stole" all they could lay their hands on. I am rather convinced that because of this "looting", the Thais today actually have a preserved archaeological history to put on display.

Oh by the way, totally unrelated of course, but will you also return the artifacts that you have stolen from your neighbors during the years?

Sadly though, they did - looting by western powers has been ongoing for centuries - and often with no conservation in mind other than making the items ready for sale......palaeontology suffers from the same dark side too.

Edited November 24, 2014 by wilcopops

[Lupatria]

"After conservation work, we will be taking some of them back to their place of origin," the culture minister concluded.

​So the same guys who sold the stuff before are coming back to business?

[Sviss Geez]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

one would have to separate myth and legend from fact first......i suspect some carbon dating and a bit of mineral analysis would help here.

Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either - each history is judged on its merit by the values of the time.

the difference nowadays is that the evidence and judgements made tend to be more scientifically based. not something that the Thai ministry of culture seems particularly famous for.

"Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either" True, it could have been bought from overseas. But the the accepted history of this item says; In 1779, the Thai General Chao Phraya Chakri captured Vientiane and looted the Emerald Buddha to Siam, taking it with him to Thonburi. OK, its a very long time ago it happened, but I wonder what the people of Laos think about this?

That's not "accepted history" that's just a quote from wikipedia.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

one would have to separate myth and legend from fact first......i suspect some carbon dating and a bit of mineral analysis would help here.

Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either - each history is judged on its merit by the values of the time.

the difference nowadays is that the evidence and judgements made tend to be more scientifically based. not something that the Thai ministry of culture seems particularly famous for.

"Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either" True, it could have been bought from overseas. But the the accepted history of this item says; In 1779, the Thai General Chao Phraya Chakri captured Vientiane and looted the Emerald Buddha to Siam, taking it with him to Thonburi. OK, its a very long time ago it happened, but I wonder what the people of Laos think about this?

That's not "accepted history" that's just a quote from wikipedia.

Here is another quote if you dont believe wikipedia: http://www.footprinttravelguides.com/asia/laos/vientiane-and-around/vientiane/ (scroll down to Wat Phra Kaeo)

[wilcopops]

The reporter and the officials try to make it sound like some foreigner came sneaking into the site and "looted" all these items.

The fact is more likely (although this is mere speculation) that the items where sold by local villagers and the people who where supposed to protect the site, little by little over a long period of time starting probably long before the site actually became an Archaeological site.

you're making rather inaccurate assumptions here.

Archeological sites are notorious for plunder. there is a massive international market for this stuff - only a couple of year ago, Sotheby's - not for the first time - was hauled up for selling artefacts allegedly stolen from archeological sites in Cambodia.

Locals seldom appreciate the historical value of the stuff those foreigners are digging out of the mud - but when this foreigners start asking them to go digging and pay "stupid" money for old broken pots etc., the locals are only too happy to take part. Remember those artefacts have often been lying around on the surface of the ground for years. - The Bang Chiang site was allegedly discovered when a young archaeological student accidentally tripped over a pot sticking out of the ground.

The resulting black market is always propelled by outsiders....of course Thailand would probably make an ideal "hub"?

I understand what you are saying and I agree completely. I just think that the site was never actually "discovered", it was there for the locals to loot long before and many of the items was probably lying around in the surrounding villages or used as kitchenware or whatever. Once the site became Archaeological however, villagers understood the value and started selling of what they had found previously, but I think the main source of "looted" artifacts would actually be somebody involved selling of this and that little by little over time.

I think you'll find that the locals had no idea what was under their feet.....they may have had a trade in items before, but dI don't think that was the case in Ban Chiang. They may have had some curiosity but it was only in the 1960s that archeologists actually began researching and defining the site. it is unlikely that these investigations would have take place without foreign aid and advice...it was this that put a value on the site and its artefacts.

I know form experience on digs in other countries that some locals collect and hoard archeological items, but the normal situation is that unless whole and identifiable items are found they are ignored by locals who seldom realise the significance. Shards of pottery etc actually have little or no commercial value on their own - the REAL worth is in their history which is often depleted when removed from location by unskilled hands. Once a site becomes well-known then the locals start to realise that even little ugly bits that they used as hard-core on their paths may have more value.

I worked in Italy which has ultra-strict laws about exporting any classical, old or ancient object, yet many families own hoards of Roman artefacts - kept in the dark - never to be seen, unless some "smuggler" is able to get the stuff out of the country. They make no money until the outsiders come in.

Small planes fly around countries now and new relatively cheap technology and satellite imagery, allows these people to detect potential archeological sites and remove artefacts before the authorities find out - the locals know little or nothing about this....and never see anything but a fraction of an items worth.

[wilcopops]

Wonder when Thailand will give back this artifact? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha

one would have to separate myth and legend from fact first......i suspect some carbon dating and a bit of mineral analysis would help here.

Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either - each history is judged on its merit by the values of the time.

the difference nowadays is that the evidence and judgements made tend to be more scientifically based. not something that the Thai ministry of culture seems particularly famous for.

"Origin and ownership don't have to be the same in every case either" True, it could have been bought from overseas. But the the accepted history of this item says; In 1779, the Thai General Chao Phraya Chakri captured Vientiane and looted the Emerald Buddha to Siam, taking it with him to Thonburi. OK, its a very long time ago it happened, but I wonder what the people of Laos think about this?

That's not "accepted history" that's just a quote from wikipedia.

I think you fail to distinguish between what is legend and what is myth - this is not wiki making the definition; what Wiki is doing is REPORTING the information and pointing out that some is historically acceptable whilst other parts are highly questionable. - if you can be bothered the article is referenced too.

History, like science, requires the application critical thinking and the views and interpretations - like science - can change. To use an unfortunate example nothing is "written in stone" when it comes to history.

Edited November 24, 2014 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

"For years, more than 500 artefacts including pottery, bronze tools, sandstone moulds and glass ornaments, have been offering a visual but illegal treat to visitors at the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California."

Are these artifacts going to be used as an educational tool to teach Thais about their history and heritage, or is it just a matter of national pride just to possess them. No artifacts should be excavated unless they are going to be researched and reexamined as techniques become more advanced, let alone dug up to the sole purpose of being displayed as works of art to make a profit for unscrupulous art dealers.

As a graduate student in anthropology/archeology years ago, I researched the early origins of rice domestication. At that time, the site of Non Nok Tha in northeast Thailand yielded the earliest signs of domesticated rice. However, when I asked Thais about this site, not one person had any idea what I was talking about. All the archeological work on the ancient Thai sites were conducted by westerners (Gorman, Bayard, Solheim, Parker, Young, et al). and their discoveries and research of these sites appear to have more educational interest in the west than they do in the country where they were discovered.

It would be beneficial for students to learn about their rich history and significance in worldwide prehistoric culture. Many of us make fun of how Thailand copies everything that is western and then pretends that they have Thai origins, yet they ignore what is truly Thai (or precursors to the Thai culture) and how advanced their prehistoric cultures were. Unfortunately, I doubt any of the teachers in Thai schools have an inkling of this history and are capable of teaching it. What a shame so many will never learn about the true origins of their culture.

i think a lot could be learned here about Thailand's history, geography and demographics; unfortunately this knowledge has been available for some time, with or without those artefacts.

Maybe their arrival will generate some interest in the region's pre-history and start to put to rest the more ridiculous myths promulgted in Thai schools about "thai-ness" and Thai culture in general.

[12DrinkMore]

And it is high time all those Isaan girls returned the stuff looted from Western males.

[12DrinkMore]

"For years, more than 500 artefacts including pottery, bronze tools, sandstone moulds and glass ornaments, have been offering a visual but illegal treat to visitors at the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California."

Are these artifacts going to be used as an educational tool to teach Thais about their history and heritage, or is it just a matter of national pride just to possess them. No artifacts should be excavated unless they are going to be researched and reexamined as techniques become more advanced, let alone dug up to the sole purpose of being displayed as works of art to make a profit for unscrupulous art dealers.

As a graduate student in anthropology/archeology years ago, I researched the early origins of rice domestication. At that time, the site of Non Nok Tha in northeast Thailand yielded the earliest signs of domesticated rice. However, when I asked Thais about this site, not one person had any idea what I was talking about. All the archeological work on the ancient Thai sites were conducted by westerners (Gorman, Bayard, Solheim, Parker, Young, et al). and their discoveries and research of these sites appear to have more educational interest in the west than they do in the country where they were discovered.

It would be beneficial for students to learn about their rich history and significance in worldwide prehistoric culture. Many of us make fun of how Thailand copies everything that is western and then pretends that they have Thai origins, yet they ignore what is truly Thai (or precursors to the Thai culture) and how advanced their prehistoric cultures were. Unfortunately, I doubt any of the teachers in Thai schools have an inkling of this history and are capable of teaching it. What a shame so many will never learn about the true origins of their culture.

To be honest, rather than trying to spend time on looking at discarded old pots that distinctly resemble the current day ones used all over Isaan, and are available for a few Baht at the market, any time spent in the classroom should be spent on learning stuff that will promote the future success of Thailand.

Yeah, I'm sure a bit of cultural history is good for the soul. But it does not put Baht into the GDP and pockets of the people.

And if they want to find out how people lived 2,000 years ago, I am sure there are many current day living examples out in the rice fields. I mean really, has there been any significant change in two millennia apart from a TV and mobile phone? Every time I head up there I see people in tribal villages smashing up papayas using implements that are at least 4,000 years old by design and cooking bits of chicken over wooden fires, or fish wrapped in banana leaves.

And, with few exceptions, the technological breakthroughs in planting and harvesting rice seem to be limited to the use of aluminium containers and plastic bags to hold lunch.

We need modern stuff, and not more ancient stuff.

[Trouble]

See the following link for a full story about the man that sold these artifacts to the museums.

http://chasingaphrodite.com/tag/bowers-museum/

I met Bob Olson back in the late 70's or early '80 at a lecture about Ban Chiang pottery given at the old Bullock's Wilshire department store in Los Angeles. He was giving the lecture and selling some of the pottery through the store. I became acquainted with him. I did become interested in some of the pottery. He invited me to several social events at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, a very exclusive gentlemen's club at the time. He also invited me to a horse race to watch a race one evening of a horse he owned. He seemed to be well connected and I enjoyed the events. I additionally visited a storage unit filled with stuff wondering if the stuff was real or fake antiques. Obviously some of it was real. Goes to show how far someone can fall. On one hand it was the Thais digging up the stuff for sale and undoubtedly had there been no market the stuff it would still be buried. While one does not like to see the wholesale looting of places, it has always been that way, otherwise the stuff would never see the light of day. It happens all over the world and well to some degree it's finders, keepers. Half the museums of the world are filled with antiquities from other countries.

In this case half the returned stuff could disappear out the back door never to be heard of again if someone doesn't watch the goods.

[jaltsc]

"For years, more than 500 artefacts including pottery, bronze tools, sandstone moulds and glass ornaments, have been offering a visual but illegal treat to visitors at the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California."

Are these artifacts going to be used as an educational tool to teach Thais about their history and heritage, or is it just a matter of national pride just to possess them. No artifacts should be excavated unless they are going to be researched and reexamined as techniques become more advanced, let alone dug up to the sole purpose of being displayed as works of art to make a profit for unscrupulous art dealers.

As a graduate student in anthropology/archeology years ago, I researched the early origins of rice domestication. At that time, the site of Non Nok Tha in northeast Thailand yielded the earliest signs of domesticated rice. However, when I asked Thais about this site, not one person had any idea what I was talking about. All the archeological work on the ancient Thai sites were conducted by westerners (Gorman, Bayard, Solheim, Parker, Young, et al). and their discoveries and research of these sites appear to have more educational interest in the west than they do in the country where they were discovered.

It would be beneficial for students to learn about their rich history and significance in worldwide prehistoric culture. Many of us make fun of how Thailand copies everything that is western and then pretends that they have Thai origins, yet they ignore what is truly Thai (or precursors to the Thai culture) and how advanced their prehistoric cultures were. Unfortunately, I doubt any of the teachers in Thai schools have an inkling of this history and are capable of teaching it. What a shame so many will never learn about the true origins of their culture.

To be honest, rather than trying to spend time on looking at discarded old pots that distinctly resemble the current day ones used all over Isaan, and are available for a few Baht at the market, any time spent in the classroom should be spent on learning stuff that will promote the future success of Thailand.

Yeah, I'm sure a bit of cultural history is good for the soul. But it does not put Baht into the GDP and pockets of the people.

And if they want to find out how people lived 2,000 years ago, I am sure there are many current day living examples out in the rice fields. I mean really, has there been any significant change in two millennia apart from a TV and mobile phone? Every time I head up there I see people in tribal villages smashing up papayas using implements that are at least 4,000 years old by design and cooking bits of chicken over wooden fires, or fish wrapped in banana leaves.

And, with few exceptions, the technological breakthroughs in planting and harvesting rice seem to be limited to the use of aluminium containers and plastic bags to hold lunch.

We need modern stuff, and not more ancient stuff.

Unfortunately, today's "education" appears to be geared to making more money and ignores the process of creative thinking and appreciating the arts. The world of the future will probably consist of robotic like workers with a few people at the controls.

There will always be people who live what those who live in industrial societies call a "primitive" life. Who are we to judge that they are worse off than the rest of us? For some, the wealthiest are not those who have the most, but those who desire the least.