Lao Pako: A Late Prehistoric Site on the Nâm Ngum River in Laos 9780860549956, 9781407351025

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF PLATES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF APPENDICES
INTRODUCTION
THE SITE LAO PAKO
THEORY IN PRACTICE
METHODS
EXCAVATION RESULTS
INTERPRETATION
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PRIORITIES
SUMMARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES

Citation preview

l na tio ne di nli ad l o ith ria W ate m

BAR S777 1999

KÄLLÉN & KARLSTRÖM: LAO PAKO

B A R

Lao Pako A Late Prehistoric Site on the Nam Ngum River in Laos Anna Kallen Anna Karlstrom

BAR International Series 777 1999

Published in 2016 by BAR Publishing, Oxford

BAR International Series 777 Lao Pako: A Late Prehistoric Site on the Nam Ngum River in Laos

© The authors individually and the Publisher 1999 The authors' moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher.

ISBN 9780860549956 paperback ISBN 9781407351025 e-format DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860549956 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library BAR Publishing is the trading name of British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd. British Archaeological Reports was first incorporated in 197 4 to publish the BAR Series, International and British. In 1992 Hadrian Books Ltd became part of the BAR group. This volume was originally published by Archaeopress in conjunction with British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd/ Hadrian Books Ltd, the Series principal publisher, in 1999. This present volume is published by BAR Publishing, 2016.

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Acknowledgements

The Lao Pako project was carried out with limited funds. Without the many voluntary contributions from various persons and institutions it could never have been completed. We would therefore like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all contributors. First of all we wish to thank Elisabet Lind and Per S0rensen for their encouragement and inspiration all along the way. In Laos we would like to thank our local supervisor Peter Fogde and other employees at Burapha Development Consultants Co Ltd for all effort put into this project, and also the Fogde family for a warm welcome in Laos. The excavation would not have been realized without the interest and kind permission of both the Ministry of Information and Culture, Vientiane and the owner of the Lao Pako resort, Walter Pfabigan. Thonglit Luang Khoth and Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy have not only shared their time but also their knowledge with us during the excavation. They have also together with all employees at the Lao Pako resort shown us the local culture and custom, g1vmg us many unforgettable memories. Marion Ravenscroft has contributed with a lot of effort in handling the finds material and has shown a deep interest and concern for this project.

In Sweden \\:'.e wish to thank our supervisor Inger Osterholm for various help and support. For support and encouragement we also want to thank Goran Burenhult and Kristina Lindell. Gert Magnusson and Kristina Creutz have most kindly assisted us with their knowledge of metallurgy and metal objects. The analysis could not have been carried out without the contributions of Ann-Marie Hansson, Torbjom Ahlstrom, the Archaeological Research Laboratory and the Department of Archaeology at Stockholm University. Sven Osterholm has contributed with beautiful drawings and Hemlins Foto in Visby with photographic equipment. The computor support from Jan Andersson was crucial for the final layout. Alexander Gill, Bo Karlstrom and Jonas Rosengarten corrected the English language and Camilla Altahr-Cederberg, Martin Rundkvist and Kristin Osterman have contributed with valuable critique. The translation into Lao was made by mr Souvanna Phouyavong, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Stockholm. We wish to actress our sincere appreciation to all mentioned above as well as to Sida for making this financially possible. We are also grateful to our editor David Davison.

Contents

page

Acknowledgements

i

Contents

ii

List of plates

iv

List of figures

v

List of tables

vi

List of appendices

vii

Introduction....................................................................................................... ... .

1

The site Lao Pako... ................................... ........................................................ ... .

2

Location Topography, vegetation and soil quality

3 3

The site in its historic context

4

The site in its modern context

5

Theory in practice............................................................................................... ... Theoretical approach The investigation from a critical point of view

7

7 7

Methods.................................................................................................................

9

Survey

9

Excavation meyhods

9

Square systems

11

Layers

11

Excavation results..................................................................................................

13

Stratigraphy

13

Pottery and potsherds Shape and decoration

13 14

Size and shape of complete jars

14

Colour and decoration

15

Rims

19

Pottery analysis

21

Complete jars Cluster of jars in testpit A

21 22

Potsherds in the cultural layers

25

Clusters

25 11

Metallurgy

26

Slag Tuyeres Casting moulds

26 28 29 30 30 30

Artefacts Metal artefacts Copper artefacts Iron artefacts Radiographs

30 32 32 35

Spindle whorls Stamp rollers Pebble tools and other stone artefacts

36 40 40 40 41 41 41

Other finds Bone Osteological analysis Glass Charcoal Radiocarbon dating

Inerpretation.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

44 44 45

Stratigraphy Metallurgy Textile manufacturing Pottery Macrofossil analysis

48 48 49

Pits

50

Stone tools

50

Conclusion and future priorities............................................................................

53

Summary................................................................................................................

54

··········································································································

55

Bibliography. .........................................................................................................

56

Appendices*

1-XXXIJJ

*Please note that a full-size version of appendix 11 is available to download from www.barpublishing.com/additional-downloads.html

lll

List of plates

page 1.

The bank of the river at Lao Pako

2

2. .,,.,.

View towards northeast from the site

2

Ceramic beads, former find at Lao Pako

6

4.

Iron artefact, former find at Lao Pako

6

5.

Passing soil through the sieve

11

6.

Specimen consisting of jars 23, 42 and 43

12

7.

Section B-C in square E2

13

8.

Jar 17

14

9.

Jars 35, 36, 37 and 39

14

10.

Potsherd, possible pedestal

15

11.

Cordmarked potsherds

16

12.

Decorated potsherds

17

13.

Screwhead applique on potsherds

17

14.

Jar decorated with screwhead applique

17

15.

Jar 2

22

16.

Jar 2 in excavation

23

17.

Jar 2 in excavation

23

18.

Copper artefact

25

19.

Jars and clusters of potsherds in square B2

26

20.

Slag with fine texture

27

21.

Coarse slag in northeast comer of square E2

27

22.

Carved sandstone

29

23.

Copper vessel

30

24.

Radiograph of iron artefact

30

25.

Spindle whorls

32

26.

Spindle whorls

33

27.

Cluster of spindle whorls

35

28.

Pounding stone

38

29.

Scraper

38

30.

Scraper

39

31.

Whetstone

39

32.

Stone axes

39

33.

Bone finds

40

IV

List of figures

page

1.

Map of Lao Pako and surrounding area

3

2. ,.,

Map of Lao Pako resort and close surroundings

5

.).

The square system of the excavation area

9

4.

Map of the site illustrating variations in altitude

JO

5.

Different shapes of jars found at Lao Pako

15

6.

Decoration categories for potsherds

18

7.

Rim categories for potsherds

20

8.

Section drawing of cluster of jars in testpit A, square E2

24

9.

Plan drawing of cluster of jars in testpit A, square E2

24

10.

General shape of coarse slag

27

11.

Tuy ere finds at Lao Pako, mouth and half pieces

28

12.

Spindle whorls

33

13.

Stamp rollers

35

14.

Location of samples used for radiocarbon analysis

41

15.

Callibration graph from radiocarbon dating

42

16.

Callibration graph from radiocarbon dating

42

17.

Diagrams illustrating the distribution of rims, according to different categories, in layer IV, V and VI-VIII respectively

18.

19.

46

Diagrams illustrating the distribution of decorated potsherds, according to different categories, in layer IV, V and VI-VII respectively

47

Diagrams illustrating the distribution of different find categories in different layers

51

V

List of tables

page 1.

Iron artefacts

31

2.

Spindle whorls

34

3.

Pebble tools

37

4.

Radioccarbon dating

41

5.

Analysis of macrofossil remains

49

Vl

List of appendices

page

1.

Description of finds

I

2.

Clusters

IX

3.

Samples

X

4.

Potsherds

XI

5.

Explanation of drawings

XIII

6.

Plan drawings, square DI

XIV

7.

Plan drawings, square B2

xv

8.

Plan drawings, square E2 and altitude measurements, top and bottom

XVI

9.

Section drawings, square DI with excavation layers marked

XX"

10.

Section drawings, square B2 with excavation layers marked

XX-II

11.

Distribution of jars and finds in plan

XX"V

12.

Jars in cross-section, square DI

XX-VII

13.

Jars in cross-section, square B2

XX-VIII

14.

Jars in cross-section, square E2

XX-IX

15.

Distribution of jars in plan

XX¥

16.

Radio graphs of iron artefacts

XX¥]

17.

Distribution of metallurgy objects in plan

XX¥!]

18.

Distribution of metallurgy objects in section

xx:¥111

Please note that a full-size version of appendix 11 is available to download from www.barpublishing.com/additional-downloads.html

Vll

Introduction

The site Lao Pako, situated about 40 kilometres from Vientiane at the bank of Nam Ngum river, has been known for many years as an archaeologically interesting location. The present landowners have several times reported finds of pottery and other artefacts while building houses for the Lao Pako tourist resort. One minor excavation project has earlier been carried out at the site in 1993 by archaeologists from the Ministry of Information and Culture Department of Museums and Archaeology, Vientiane, directed by mr Viengkeo Souksavatdy. The aim of the project presented in this report is to get a brief picture of what the functions of the site have been, i.e. to give an overview of the area around the site and to excavate the top of the hill, which seemed to have been the most densely occupied spot of the site. The purpose of the excavation was, to as great an extent as possible, to find artefacts, constructions and other evidence to indicate not only the former functions and the dating of the site, but also in which directions the prehistoric inhabitants of Lao Pako had had their trade and contact networks. Due to the short time of excavation and apparent difficulties with limited access to finds and samples, this project should however not be seen as a full investigation, but rather as a preinvestigation, supposed to serve as a base for further archaeological research at the site Lao Pako. During six weeks, November 1995 to January 1996, the present investigation and excavation was carried out at the site. The project was financed through an MFS scholarship from Sida, Swedish International Development Authority. This archaeological project has been designed with the assistance of MA Per S0rensen, Copenhagen, and carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and Culture, Department of Museums and Archaeology in Vientiane, Lao P.D.R. The content of this report is the total responsibility of the authors. It should however be stressed that the project itself was carried out in cooperation with archaeologists from the Ministry of Information and Culture without whom it could never have been effected.

Responsible for the excavation was the Ministry of Information and Culture, Department of Museums and Archaeology in Vientiane, Laos represented by Excavation Director ethnologist Thonglit Luang Khoth. From the Ministry participated also the Director General ( on leave) MA Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy. Archaeologists Anna Karlstrom and Anna Kallen, Gotland College of Higher Education and Stockholm University, Sweden, participated during the excavation as Assistant Directors, but were responsible for the survey that was carried out before the excavation started. From the village Ban Na Bong, adjacent to Lao Pako, seven workers were employed; six men for the digging work and one woman for sorting the potsherds. The employees at Lao Pako resort also participated while constructing equipment for the excavation. The investigation consisted of a mapping of the central area of the site, checking on oral information given about earlier finds and sites nearby and the most extensive part, excavation in three squares on top of the hill in the central part of the site. The total area excavated was 25 m 2 of which about 2.25 m2 had been disturbed in recent times. The artefacts and other material found during the excavation give evidence of many different kinds of activities going on about 1 600 years ago. The importance of the site in manufacturing of or trading with pottery is indicated by the 45 complete buried jars and 270 kilos of potsherds. Finds of slag, tuyeres and iron artefacts are signs of metallurgical activities and the presence of textile manufacturing is indicated by finds of spindle whorls and stamp rollers. A large amount of pebble and stone tools were also found as well as two objects of copper or copper alloy whose functions are unknown. The stratigraphic sections show two compact cultural layers, both containing potsherds, charcoal and artefacts. Beneath these cultural layers jars have been buried, often in clusters and with no particular contents. The colour of the soil was the same in all the different layers of the three squares, with one exception. In one corner of the largest square the soil was darker and greasy and together with metallurgical objects this indicates a place for iron working. Three charcoal samples taken for radiocarbon dating have dated the site to around 350 AD.

The site Lao Pako

Plate I: The steep bank of the river at the site, during dry season. Towards northeast.

Plate 2: View towards northeast from the main hill facing the river at Lao Pako. Mountainous area in the background.

2

Location

The map provided by the National Geographic Department in Vientiane was prepared by the U.S. Army 1966 in the scale 1:50 000 (Ban Na Sone, Sheet 5545 II, series L7015 ). The coordinates on the global grid system are 102°68"E, 18°09"N and the altitude between 170 and 180 m above sea-level.

Lao Pako is located about 40 kilometers northeast of Vientiane, the capital of Lao P.D.R. The site is situated at the southern bank of the river Nam Ngum, right at a bend of the river with a view both upstream and downstream.

,.) 102.0 G.5'

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Fig 1: The location of the site Lao Pako, at the river Nam Ngum.

bamboo and eucalyptus plantations together with original forest vegetation. The original vegetation is of the type "dry monsoonal forest" with small to medium sized trees and scarce occurence of lianas, fems and epiphytes. Recent slash-and-bum agriculture has replaced this original vegetation with secondary growth such as bamboo and wild banana (Whitaker 1972: l 7f). The map from 1966 shows swamp areas east and southeast of the site at a distance of two to three kilometres. Southwest of the site is today a plain of recently constructed irrigation systems for cultivation of rice. Inhabitants of the nearby villages use also, during the dry season when the water level is low, the steep banks of the river for cultivation of

Topography, vegetation and soil quality The area of investigation is a part of the Vientiane Plain, the plain surrounding Vientiane city dominated by cultivation. In a larger scale the Vientiane Plain is situated in the periphery of the Khorat plateau which stretches over north Thailand and the central parts of Laos. The landscape surrounding the site is flat with small streams leading to the river cutting the land and forming hills. The vegetation of this area consists mostly of

3

vegetables. North of the river is a swamp area with well preserved dense forest vegetation. Clearly visible from the site, and situated about eight kilometres northeast of it, is a chain of mountains (plate 2) which represents a totally different type of vegetation and topography, i.e. another resource area.

owners of the land or local inhabitants. The reader should therefore be aware of the possibility that some of the information given here could have been slightly exaggerated or even made up along the way. The area where the tourist resort is today has been an open spot surrounded by forest vegetation for as long as can be remembered. The local inhabitants from nearby villages have always known that there was something extraordinary about the site and they talk about pii (ghosts or spirits) when they see buried jars. No one has lived there for a very long time and the former owner of the land used it for small scale cultivation and stock keeping. He himself lived in a hut in the forest a few hundered metres south of the river. While working on his land he found jars, potsherds and other artefacts.

The hill on which the excavation site is situated faces the river with, in the dry season, a steep bank leading down to the water (plate 1). In the rainy season, the river's water level is raised more than ten metres and the surrounding plain area is flooded. This particular hill is though spared from inundations, since it is higher than the maximum water level. The soil in the area is fine and sandy with interspersion of laterite. The laterite is also abundantly occurant in the small streams running south of the site. The laterite is coloured red which indicates a high content of iron. The soil at the excavation site is light, sandy and without intrusion of gravel or larger stones, a so called fine sandy coarse silt with a homogeneous colour through all layers, described with reference to the Munsell Soil Color Chart as:

From the main hill closest to the river one has a good view both upstream and downstream. This seems to have been the central part of the site. Behind it there are two more hills, southeast of the main hill. These are today covered with bamboo and eucalyptus and separated from the front hill by small streams. The present landowners have reported finds of potsherds and soot spots on the hills while planting eucalyptus. These two hills have a more sheltered position than the main one and it is possible that they have been used for settlement.

DRY: Light brownish gray (lOYR 6/2) MOIST: Grayish brown (lOYR 5/2)

About 300 metres east of the main hill are the remains of what is said to have been an old pagoda made of bricks. It is totally destroyed and no one knows the exact age of it, since it has not been thoroughly archaeologically investigated. Around it potsherds of stoneware have been found. These finds are much more recent than the finds from the central part of the site. The pagoda explanation for the bricks and stoneware sherds found is based principally on the assumption that such an expensive material as bricks must have been used for something extraordinary, and the fact that the remains has a shape similar to that of a pagoda. For an alternative explanation of these remains, see page 50. Whatever the remains represent, the existence of a brick construction implies the existence of a village, probably a wealthy one, at this site not so many centuries ago. Today there is however nothing in the surroundings that make any implication of that kind. The area is uninhabitated and there are no stories whatsoever among the local inhabitants about any destroyed village at the site.

In the northeast part of square E2 appeared an area with

darker greasy soil from layer IV down into the sterile bottom layer (the extension shown on plan drawings for square E2). The colour is described as: DRY: Brown (7.5 YR 5/2) MOIST: Brown (7.5 YR 5/2) A simple pH-test was made at the office of Burapha Development Consultants Co Ltd, Vientiane. It showed a slight acidity of the soil, between pH 5.5 and pH 6.0. The first shallow layers of the excavation trenches were disturbed by termites whose nests had undermined the ground. Deeper down their frequency decreased however. Nests visible in the trench walls have been marked on the section drawings.

The site in its historic context The closest known settlement was a small village located half a kilometre west of the main hill. The village was destroyed and burnt down by French forces during the colonisation period in the first part of the 20th century. Today the area is inhabitated by a couple of families of the Hmong people who cultivate the land.

Due to the lack of previous investigations of the prehistory and history in this area we must here rely on oral information. This information has in some cases passed several generations and the stories have been told many times before being passed on to us from either the present 4

The site in its modern context

tiane and used for forest projects such as eucalyptus plantation. In 1992 the Lao Pako resort was started by mr Walter Pfabigan. It is run as an ecological tourist resort with neither electricity nor hot water and there is one main building together with three separate bungalows, all built in wood and bamboo on poles according to the traditional house style of the Lao people. The easiest way to reach Lao Pako is by bus or by car from Vientiane to the village Ban Som Sa Mai and from there by boat the last kilometres downstream, since there are no convenient roads leading all the way up to the site.

Today there are no larger villages close to Lao Pako, which in lao means "grove with small trees". Except for the Hmong families living nearby there are no villages within several kilometres, but there are paths leading through the site and the river is frequently used both for transportation and fishing. Since 1990 the land at and around the site has been property ofBurapha Development Consultants Ltd, Vien-

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