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Cutting a Gordian Knot: the Bronze Age of Southeast Asia: origins, timing and impact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Charles Higham ,
Thomas Higham  and
Amphan Kijngam
Charles Higham
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand (Email: charles.higham@otago.ac.nz)
Thomas Higham
Affiliation:
Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory of Archaeology and the History of Art, Dyson Perrins Building, University of Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK (Email: thomas.higham@rlaha.ox.ac.uk)
Amphan Kijngam
Affiliation:
Archaeology Division, Fine Arts Department, Sri Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok, Thailand (Email: ampankij@yahoo.co.th)
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Extract

Two conflicting theories put the introduction of bronze into Southeast Asia 1000 years apart, one (before China) at 2000 BC, the other at 1000 BC. Both were drawn from radiocarbon dates, the first of pottery, the second of bone. The authors cut the Gordian Knot by showing the earlier dates to be unreliable — but their study has implications way beyond Thailand. The direct dating of pottery, it seems, is full of pitfalls…

Keywords

Southeast AsiaBan ChiangBan Non WatBronze AgeradiocarbonBayesian modelingpottery
Type
Method
Information
Antiquity , Volume 85 , Issue 328 , June 2011 , pp. 583 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2011

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