Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
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A first-year master's student went on a working trip to Thailand. Humanities Institute of Novosibirsk State University Anastasia Maltseva, October 23 – November 7. During this time, the young researcher established academic contacts with representatives of Sinlapakon University, one of Thailand's leading public universities in the fields of arts, architecture, and archaeology. The student worked with materials on the history of Thai archaeology, studied the practices of international archaeological expeditions conducted in the country in the last century, and explored current issues of cultural heritage monitoring. Anastasia Maltseva visited four museums, seven archaeological sites, and four research centers. This trip to Thailand was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant No. 24-28-00003 "History of Pacific Archaeology."
It's worth noting that the archaeology of Thailand is a research interest of Anastasia Maltseva. Earlier this year, she successfully presented at an international conference on Thai studies in St. Petersburg, and in June, she brilliantly defended her thesis on this topic. The trip to Thailand marked a new stage in her development as a scholar. She embarked on the trip as a professional archaeologist to establish academic connections with colleagues from that country and to experience their work in practice. Anastasia Maltseva's academic supervisor is Andrei Tabarev, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnography at the NSU Institute of Humanities.
A key part of my trip to Thailand was my exploration of archaeological sites from various eras—the Neolithic complex of Nong Ratchawat, which today functions as an archaeological museum and educational center, and the Dvaravati period sites of Phong Tok and Wat Phra Meru. I also went on an expedition to Khon Kaen Province, during which I explored rock art sites: Tham Chang Cave, Wat Tham Saeng Tham Cave (now a Buddhist temple), and Lai Thang Cave, which contains prehistoric paintings from the Neolithic period. I was also introduced to modern digital documentation methods: 3D imaging, photogrammetry, and drone photogrammetry, which are used in Thailand to document rock art and archaeological sites. Interacting with Thai archaeologists was also very important. "I got to know their work from the inside, which allowed me not only to gain a fresh perspective on professional nuances but also to immerse myself in the cultural characteristics of the country, its unique mentality and traditions," said Anastasia Maltseva.
During the trip, she met with Krengkrai Kirdsiri, Associate Professor and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Sinlapakon University, a specialist in the architectural history of Southeast Asia, traditional architecture, cultural heritage management, and cultural tourism, and Thanik Lertchanrit, Professor of the Faculty of Archaeology at Sinlapakon University, a specialist in the prehistoric and early historical archaeology of Southeast Asia and cultural heritage management. Students from Sinlapakon University, Thailand's leading university in the fields of art, architecture, and archaeology, accompanied her on visits to museums and cultural centers. Anastasia Maltseva also met with participants of the joint Thai-Japanese project "Maritime Asia Heritage Survey," whose main goal is to create a database accessible to a wide audience of internet users.
From the first day of her assignment, Anastasia Maltseva began studying museum work and exhibition design. She visited Thailand's leading museums—the Museum of Siam, the National Museum of Bangkok, the Ban Khao Museum, the U-Thong Museum, and the Sirindhorn Anthropology Center.
"The Museum of Siam is a modern, interactive museum in the heart of Bangkok. It's primarily focused on creating and showcasing a national identity, but it also features an exhibition dedicated to Thailand's prehistoric archaeology, which is what caught my attention. A visit to the Bangkok National Museum was equally fascinating. It's the country's largest museum, housing the most extensive collection of Thai art and archaeological artifacts from antiquity to the present day. The prehistoric exhibits are displayed in four halls, and the museum itself is a series of buildings. Walking through its halls, visitors are transported from the Stone Age to the period of early kingdoms, and then to the history of Buddhism in Thailand," shared Anastasia Maltseva.
The researcher also visited museums and archeological sites in four provinces – Phetchhaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi, Suphan Buri. Among these is the Bancao National Museum, founded in 1965 to collect, preserve and display prehistoric artifacts from archaeological sites at the Bancao archaeological site and other archaeological sites in Kanchanaburi Province. These excavations were carried out in these places during Thai-Danish expeditions in 1960 – 1962. In fact, it was at this place that Thai archeology was born, so a visit to this museum was especially important for Anastasia Maltseva. She also visited the Wu Tong National Museum. This is the main museum of Dvaravati archeology in central Thailand. It was founded in 1959. Wu Thong is considered one of the centers of the ancient “Suvrannabhumi” (Golden Land) and the most important early center of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. It was also important to get acquainted with the Nong Ratchawat monument – a Neolithic archaeological complex, which dates back to about 4000-3500 years ago. At this monument, archaeologists discovered more than 150 burials with rich grave goods. It is noteworthy that to date the monument has not yet been fully excavated and is in a state of conservation. It is possible that excavations will continue in the future, but for now a canopy and fencing have been installed over the area that has not yet been excavated. Archaeological finds that were made during the excavations that took place here are being studied in laboratories, so some of the artifacts in the exhibition – bones and clay vessels – have been replaced with replicas.
One of the highlights of Anastasia Maltseva's trip to Thailand was an expedition to Khon Kaen Province, which she embarked on with her Thai colleagues—participants in the project "Digital Archaeology: Using Advanced Technologies to Study and Record Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in Northeast Thailand, Base 1, Khon Kaen Province." This was the first trip under this project. The goal of the expedition was to digitally record Neolithic rock art sites dating back 2,000–4,000 years: Tham Chang, Wat Tham Saeng Tham, and Lai Thang. As Anastasia Maltseva noted, these sites have long been known to researchers, but until recently they had not been the subject of systematic study or properly documented.
The expedition participants had all the necessary modern equipment. They had several drones, a special station for receiving the coordinates they obtained, a 3D scanner, and various photographic equipment.
— First, we flew a drone overhead, which generated 3D models of the mountain, rock outcrop, or cave. Then, we used a 3D scanner to scan the cave from the inside and, using various photographic devices, recorded the rock carvings. The Tham Chang monument can rightfully be called sensational—it contains rock carvings of elephants, a rarity for Southeast Asia. Only two animals are clearly visible, but in reality, there are at least a dozen. Slightly to the right are anthropomorphic figures, barely visible to the naked eye—only their faint outlines. It is believed that these groups of images were not contemporaneous; the scenes are independent of each other and were painted at different times, indicating the popularity of this site, as people returned there repeatedly. Another monument, Wat Tham Saeng Tham, contains anthropomorphic figures that are also barely visible to the naked eye. They have been effectively erased, partly because this monument is currently part of a Buddhist temple. As part of a later monastic practice, part of the rock walls and ledges were covered with a layer of black pigment, which damaged and partially obscured the ancient images, said Anastasia Maltseva.
The road to the third Neolithic site, Lai Thaeng Cave, was challenging. Access was via a washed-out road in all-terrain vehicles, and then on foot through impenetrable jungle. An officer from the national park, in whose territory the cave is located, accompanied the archaeologists and cleared the way. A unique rock painting is located on a rock outcrop near the cave. Its main motif consists of anthropomorphic figures and animal images. Compositionally, the painting is divided into two parts: one composed of filled red figures, the other of black outlines, which are also from different periods. What makes this site unique is the fact that the images from different chronological periods are distinctly differentiated by color: the earlier motifs are executed in red pigment, while the later ones are painted in black. This differs from common practice, in which even drawings from different periods are usually created with the same pigment and often overlap.
Anastasia Maltseva noted a distinctive feature of Southeast Asian rock art: almost all the drawings are found only on rocky outcrops, not inside caves, as, for example, in Europe. No traces of ancient human activity have been found in the caves of Southeast Asia. Artifacts indicating human presence are absent. Therefore, the caves were uninhabited, and people came to them for one purpose—to leave rock art at the entrances.
"My trip to Thailand was a truly unique experience, not only for me. It was important for the development of Thai-Russian relations and cooperation in archaeology. I hope this trip will lay the foundation for further collaboration and lead to the implementation of new joint projects and the achievement of important scientific results," added Anastasia Maltseva.
Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service
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