The
Kingdom of Thailand has a very long and rich history, dating back
thousands of years to prehistoric times. Several empires and Kingdoms
have ruled the country, leaving behind impressive landmarks and
historical sites that still remain today.Thailand has been inhabited for
thousands of years. The earliest inhabitants during prehistoric times
were hunters and gatherers. Between the 20th and 15th century BC early
man started basic forms of farming and village construction.
Ancient Buddhist structures:-The
oldest Buddhist structure in Thailand is the Phra Pathom Chedi in
Nakhon Pathom. The history of the chedi goes back to the time when
Buddhism was introduced in South East Asian countries, including
Thailand. In the 3rd century BC the Indian emperor Ashoka sent out monks
over large parts of Asia to spread Buddhism. The monks brought with
them relics from the Buddha, that were enshrined into the Phra Pathom
Chedi.
Khmer monuments in Thailand:-Around
10 centuries ago when the Khmer empire controlled much of present day
Thailand, a large number of Khmer temples were built, many of which
remain in a well preserved state today.Ancient highways were built to
connect Angkor, the center of the Khmer empire, with other parts of the
empire. Along one of these roads from Angkor to Phimai are three of the
most impressive and best preserved Khmer temples in Thailand, namely
Phanom Rung, Muang Tum and Phimai.The Thai
KingdomsSukhothai was the first independent Thai Kingdom. It reached its
peak of power and prosperity during the 13th century. Today Sukhothai
is a historical park containing a number of impressive landmarks.
Sukhothai and its two sister cities, Si Satchanalai historical park and
Kamphaeng Phet historical park are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Ayutthaya
was one of the largest and richest cities in the world. Today the
impressive remains of the city are well visited due to its location
close to Bangkok. The Ayutthaya era came to an end in 1767, when most of
the city was destroyed by Burmese invaders. The demise of Ayutthaya
marked the start of the Rattanakosin era and the founding of Bangkok.
The old part of Bangkok East of the Chao Phraya river was called
Rattanakosin.The first Rattanakosin King had a number of canals dug out
and forts built to protect the city. Among the first of Bangkok’s
landmarks to be built were the Grand Palace, the Wat Arun with its
impressive prang and the Wat Pho.
Historical Parks
Ayutthaya:-The
Ayutthaya Historical Park comprises of the ruins of temples and palaces
of the capital of the ancient Ayutthaya Kingdom. The park is located on
an island surrounded by three rivers where the old capital used to
be.The Ayutthaya Kingdom, which existed from 1351 until 1767 was one of
the largest and most prosperous empires of its time. The ruins of many
impressive temples and palaces give an impression of the wealth of the
ancient Kingdom.
Sukhothai:-The Sukhothai Historical Park contains the ruins of old Sukhothai, the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom that was founded in 1238.Dozens of well preserved and restored monuments dating back to the 13th until 15th centuries are found in a well maintained park like setting with lakes, ponds and trees. The park is much less visited than better known historical sites as Ayutthaya and Angkor.Sukhothai was the first independent Thai Kingdom, where Thai art and architecture developed into what is known as the Sukhothai style, influenced mainly by Khmer and Singhalese styles. Characteristic for the Sukhothai style are the lotus bud chedi and statues of a walking Buddha, the clothing draped around the body.
Kamphaeng Phet:-The
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park contains the ruins of the ancient town
of Kamphaeng Phet, an important town in the Sukhothai Kingdom. The park
that is little visited by foreign tourists contains monuments built
during the 13th to 17th centuries by the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya
empires.
Si Satchanalai:-Si
Satchanalai Historical Park contains the ruins of the ancient town of
Si Satchanalai, an important town in the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th
and 14th century. The 45 km2 little visited park on the Yom river is set
in a natural, forested area. Dozens of sites inside and outside of the
old city walls have been excavated. A number of temples have been
restored to their original glory.Si Satchanalai, together with the
Historical Parks of its sister cities Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.Si Satchanalai was a vassal town of
Sukhothai, the capital of the empire located about 85 kilometers to the
South.
Phu Phra Bat:-Phu
Phra Bat historical park in Udon Thani province in the North East of
Thailand is a forested hill with natural rock formations shaped as caves
with large rocky overhangs. The caves were used by ancient man as
shelter and as temples where Buddha images were enshrined.What makes
this site unique, is that it contains traces of several different
civilizations and cultures spanning thousands of years. The hill
contains traces of prehistoric man, the Dvaravati period and Khmer
presence.
Wiang Kum Kam:-Wiang
Kum Kam is a historical site South of the town of Chiang Mai. The site
contains the ruins of a 13th century fortified city encircled by moats.
The ancient town was rediscovered by chance when local people dug up
ancient votive tablets buried in the ground.Excavations of Wiang Kum Kam
started in the 1980’s. The site was cleared of overgrowth and a number
of monuments was partly restored by the Thai Fine Arts Department.The
ancient rectangular town measures 850 meters long and 600 meters wide.
Spread out over and area of several square kilometers inside and outside
the town the remains of several dozens ancient monuments have been
discovered. Traces of the ancient walls and moats remain.
Ban Chiang prehistorical site:-Ban
Chiang is an archeological site where remains of human settlement
during prehistoric times have been found. The site is located in Udon
Thani province, in the North East part of Thailand.Ban Chiang is a
prehistoric village and burial site inhabited probably from about 1500
BC until about 300 AD. The site provides evidence of transition from
Neolithic age (no use of metals) into the bronze age and finally into
the iron age.Settlement in Ban Chiang started during the Neolithic age
when man was not yet capable of working with metals. The earliest graves
did not contain any bronze or iron artifacts.The earliest settlers were
probably rice farmers, as suggested by some of the finds at the site.
Although the earliest datings suggested that settlement in Ban Chiang
started during the 5th millennium BC, later datings using radiocarbon
dating have shown that settlement in Ban Chiang started around 1500 BC,
during the Neolithic age.
Ban Prasat prehistorical site:-Ban
Prasat is a prehistoric site near the banks of the Than Prasat river in
the small village of Ban Prasat, Nakhon Ratchasima province. About
3,000 years ago people settled the area. They grew rice and raised
domesticated animals.The site was excavated in 1991 by the Thai Fine
Arts Department. Three pits have been dug out. Burial sites containing a
total of 60 graves were found where skeletons of male, female and
children were unearthed as well as offerings buried with them. The
oldest graves date back to the Bronze age, about 1,000 BC. The latest
graves are from the Iron Age, which started around 500 BC. The dead were
buried with offerings of pottery vessels and jewelry, such as shells
and marble bangles.
No comments:
Post a Comment