Ethnoarchaeological Study on Iron and Salt in Thailand
| Project/Area Number |
06041088
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | Field Research |
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| Research Institution | Kagoshima University |
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Principal Investigator |
NITTA Eiji Kagoshima University, Professor, 教養部, 教授 (00117532)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
CHAIKANCHIT Chalit Khon Kaen University, 人文社会科学部, 講師
NISHITANI Masaru National Museum of Japanese History, 考古研究部, 助手 (50218161)
CHALIT Chaik コンケン大学, 人文・社会科学部, 講師
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| Project Period (FY) |
1994 – 1995
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
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| Keywords | Salt-meking / Iron-smelting / Environmental change / Deforestation / Social change / Ethnoarchaeology / 塩 / 自然破壊 / 製塩遺跡 / 社会再編 |
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| Research Abstract |
Nitta made field researches of traditional iron-smelting and salt-making activities in Thailand during two fiscal years of 1994 and 1995. Ethnoarchaeological studies on them are very useful for prehistoric archaeological and sociological studies.
There are three methods of salt-making in Thailand. Solt-field method and salty-water-well method are traditional ones. Salt-field method is carried in many provinces in northeast Thailand. Salt-field method is divided into two groups, pit-trough method and trunk-trough method. Ban Don Reng is one of the villages which runs pit-trough method. This method is as same as that of the archaeological salt-making site at Non Tung Pie Pong, Nakorn Ratchasima province excavated by Nitta. Many of traditional salt-making activities are suffering from the shortage of fuel wood caused by the deforestation and the shortage of young laborers. The traditional salt-making activities which have been carried for 1700 years or more are disappearing by the environmental and social change.
Traditional iron-smelting is preserved at Ban Nam Phee, Uttaradit Province. Only one old man preserves the traditional iron-smelting and sword-making technologies. As well as the salt-making, the iron-smelting is also suffering from the shortage of iron material. The government prohibits to collect iron ore near the village, and sand iron disappeared. Iron slag collected at the old iron-smelting sites near the village is the only material to smelt iron. It is also very difficult to collect wood to bake charcoal caused by the deforestation. The iron-smelting furnace and the method to smelt iron are simpler than expected. The furnaces excavated at Ban Dong Plong in Buriram Province in 1990 resembles to that of Ban Nam Phee. The iron produced here is used to make a traditional sword of Ayuttaya style.
Two traditional technologies, iron-smelting and salt-making, are now disappearing by the environmental and modern economic and social change in Thailand. (300 words)
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Report
(2 results)
Research Products
(10 results)
