The University of Pennsylvania Museum has been a pioneer and a leader in excavation and laboratory research in Southeast Asian prehistoric archaeology since the 1960s. In conjunction with the photographic exhibition Touching the Mekong, two wide-screen plasma screens in the exhibition gallery will feature information about some of the Museum's past (and current) projects. Themes covered include:

Opening a Window to Thailand's Past
The Chansen excavations in the 1960's established strong ties between UPM and Thailand, bringing modern archaeology to Thailand. The excavations investigated the Dvaravati civilization, when Buddhism and other aspects of Indian culture first appeared in Thailand.

Discovering a Peaceful Bronze Age
UPM's ongoing Ban Chiang Project, which began in the 1970's, has revealed evidence of a previously unknown prehistoric civilization in Thailand. In 1992 UNESCO named Ban Chiang a World Heritage Site, referring to it as "without question the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in southeast Asia." Learn more and find out how you can contribute to this project by visiting Ban Chiang's homepage!

Studying the Present to Understand the Past
Ethnoarchaeological research at Ban Chiang from 1979-1981 focused on studying the daily life and native resources of the area. The project discovered the locations for wild rice, wild yams, and other natural resources and their relationships to the early settlements.

Exploring Prehistoric Metal Making
UPM's Thailand Archaeometallurgy Project, beginning in the 1980's and continuing today, investigates the production of metals (namely copper, bronze, and iron) and the technology's social impacts upon Southeast Asia's prehistoric cultures. Learn more about this ongoing project by clicking here!

Investigating Environmental Change
Over the past decade, the Thailand Palaeoenvironment Project has revealed 25,000 years of vegetation change. For example, pollen from lake beds shows that Thailand's forests were sparser and drier than today before about 11,000 years ago. Evidence for possible human impact on the environment near Ban Chiang is about 2000 years earlier than some predicted.

Training Southeast Asian Archaeologists
Beginning in the 1970's, more than 12 students from Southeast Asia have pursued graduate degrees at University of Pennsylvania's Anthropology Department. Recently PhD candidate Chureekamol Onsuwan completed field survey for her research into Chansen's origins.

The Future: Laos
UPM has just begun its Middle Mekong Archaeological Project, seeking Ban Chiang's human predecessors upstream in northern Laos.


To learn more about the Museum and its Southeast Asian archaeological work, find references here and visit our scholarly website.