Ref ID:	37474
Ref Type:	Book Section
Authors:	Carter, Alison Dussubieux, Laure Fenn, Thomas Lertcharnrit, Thanik Pryce, T.O.
Title:	The exchange of beads in Central Thailand in the protohistoric period: Glass objects from Phromthin Tai
Date:	2022
Source:	The Elemental Analysis of Glass Beads: Technology, Chronology and Exchange
Publisher:	Leuven University Press
Abstract:	Phromthin Tai, sometimes spelled Promtin Tai, is a multi-component site located in Central Thailand, about 20 km from the provincial capital of Lopburi (Figure 8.1). The Thai Fine Arts Department undertook a small excavation in 1991, which uncovered prehistoric and Early Historic period artifacts. Since 2004, Dr. Thanik Lertcharnrit from the Department of Archaeology at Silpakorn University has led frequent excavations at the site (Lertcharnrit 2006). These more recent studies show evidence for habitation from the late Bronze Age period (approx. 700 BCE) through the mid-late frst millennium CE or Dvaravati period (Lertcharnrit 2014). The most intensive habitation at the site dates to the Iron Age or protohistoric period (approx. 500 BCE – 500 CE) and in 2007 a cemetery was uncovered (PTT-S3) containing 36 individuals in 35 burials (Liu 2012). Although comprehensive radiocarbon dating of the burials has not yet been undertaken, burials can be divided into Earlier and Later Iron Age periods (Liu 2018, see Table S8.1 for details on the beads and their contexts). While beads were common throughout the cemetery matrix only 12 burials, which primarily dated to the Earlier Iron Age period, contained stone and glass beads as grave goods and of these just eight contained glass beads. Five subsequent feld seasons between 2009 and 2019 have uncovered a further 34 burials from unit PTT-S4, although these burials have fewer beads than the S3 burials.
Editors:	Walder, Heather Dussubieux, Laure
Page Start:	161
Page End:	176