Ban Chiang: Thailand's most underrated UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the world of archeological tourism, there are a few hard truths.

Ancient temples and pyramids: super sexy. Old pottery and tools that present the earliest evidence of farming in Southeast Asia? Tough sell.

This might explain why Ban Chiang -- despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's considered the most important prehistoric settlement ever discovered in northeast Thailand's Udon Thani province -- isn’t up there with the ancient kingdom of Sukhothai when it comes to hot tourist attractions.

It is, after all, little more than a preserved dig site with broken pottery and an impressive museum featuring everything from skeletal remains to Bronze Age gifts for the dead. There isn’t even much to the town itself, picture perfect as it may be. 

But still, it’s a fantastic learning experience for anyone with even a tiny bit of interest in evolution and definitely worth a visit if you're traveling through Thailand's northeastern Isaan region.

The history

Ban Chiang is one of only five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Thailand. Two of them are natural sites: a forest reserve in Khao Yai National Park and wildlife sanctuaries in Thung Yai and Huai Kha Khaeng that are lumped together as a single UNESCO site.

The most famous World Heritage Sites are Ayutthaya -- which was hit hard in the recent floods -- and the ancient city of Sukhothai.

Then there's poor, underrated Ban Chiang. Its prehistoric significance wasn't even discovered until 1966 when a visiting Harvard anthropology student named Steve Young literally stumbled onto its massive evolutionary treasure trove.

According to the history books, Young tripped on a tree root and fell face first into the dirt, which happened to contain exposed pottery that he immediately recognized as an important cultural find. 

Through the years, excavations and analysis followed, unearthing everything from Bronze Age objects like jewelry, spears and farm tools to colorful ceramic dishes. The oldest pieces date back to 2100 BC, the newest about 200 AD, say experts. 

It's all showcased beautifully in the Ban Chiang National Museum, an incredibly well curated facility with excellent displays and information that highlights the three main periods and six sub-periods of prehistoric Ban Chiang.

Basically, it takes visitors through the region's evolutionary journey from a primitive agricultural society to a community with high technological skills. The museum also offers an in-depth look at the history of the actual Ban Chiang excavation process through the years, including some of the key people involved.  

Though the museum isn't that big, if you're a hardcore anthropology enthusiast give yourself a good three hours to get through it. Otherwise, an hour will suffice.

A short drive away from the museum is the town's main excavation site, at Wat Pho Sri Nai, which is filled with pottery and human bones and has been preserved for public viewing.    

International scandal and sticky-fingered villagers

If the anthropological significance of Ban Chiang's artifacts doesn’t intrigue visitors, perhaps the scandals attached to the town will.

In 2008, an investigation into a bunch of United States museums containing artifacts from Ban Chiang was launched in relation to allegations that the pieces were smuggled illegally out of Thailand. It's all covered in this New York Times report.

Indeed Ban Chiang has long suffered from illegal looting given the high volume of artifacts unearthed. It doesn't help that the famed red pottery's distinct pattern is recognized worldwide, thus so is its value.

A woman who works in the Ban Chiang National Museum, who didn’t want to be named, said one of her own neighbors has even admitted to finding a piece of priceless pottery in her yard and keeping it.

“She told me it’s not a big deal, it’s just one piece of pottery. She said she just wanted to have it in her home to look at. I’m sure there are plenty more like her. She just doesn't realize the significance of this stuff and why it should be shared.”

Fortunately, you don't need to resort to theft if you decide a piece of the ancient pottery would look nice on your mantle. The town of Ban Chiang has plenty of shops outside the museum selling pottery knockoffs for those who want to bring a legal reminder of their visit home with them.

Getting there

Ban Chiang is about 50 kilometers east of the city of Udon Thani. Most hotels will arrange transportation for travelers. 

Udon Thani is about 560 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Buses depart several times a day from Bangkok's Mor Chit station. 

Udon Thani's airport services domestic flights from several cities including Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket. To book seats, check out Nok Air, Air Asia or Thai Airways. 

Karla Cripps is the Southeast Asia editor of CNNGo.com.  

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