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Glass circulation in late Iron Age Southeast Asia: New Compositional and Isotopic Data of Beads found at Non Ban Jak in Northeast Thailand

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Abstract

With this study we expand the glass data available for northeast Thailand through the analysis of elemental and isotopic (Sr-Nd-Pb) compositions of glass beads from Non Ban Jak. This site, located in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeast Thailand, yielded more than 3000 glass artifacts dating from the mid-late Iron Age (CE 200-850). A representative selection of sixty-five glass beads was analyzed for elemental compositions, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data were obtained for 10 of these beads. Most of the beads belong to the mineral soda – high alumina (m-Na-Al) 1 glass group, which originated from either Sri Lanka or southern India. Three color-specific sub-groups were identified: m-Na-Al 1.1, m-Na-Al 1.2 and m-Na-Al 1.3. Two glass samples with an orange color have a mixed-alkali composition also associated with India. Two glass beads have a potash composition usually associated with the Early Iron Age period and the South China Sea exchange network. Translucent dark blue beads have a soda-lime composition suggesting import from the west (the Mediterranean area or the Middle East). Results for Non Ban Jak show strong similarities with results from the neighboring sites of Ban Non Wat and Noen-U Loke and seem to share a strong connection during the Late Iron Age with South India/Sri Lanka.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thanks Christophe Cloquet who carried out the isotope analysis at the Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques – Services d’Analyse des Roches et des Minéraux. The elemental and isotope analyses were financed by the French National Research (ANR) BROGLASEA ‘Bronze and Glass as Cultural Catalysts and Tracers in Early Southeast Asia’ to TO Pryce.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA

    Laure Dussubieux

  2. Archaeology Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Charles F. W. Higham

  3. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LAPA-IRAMAT, NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    T. O. Pryce

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  1. Laure Dussubieux
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LD conducted the elemental analysis of the samples. LD, TOP and CFWH contributed to the writing of the manuscript. All authors agreed to the publication of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Laure Dussubieux.

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Dussubieux, L., Higham, C.F.W. & Pryce, T.O. Glass circulation in late Iron Age Southeast Asia: New Compositional and Isotopic Data of Beads found at Non Ban Jak in Northeast Thailand. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 16, 47 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-01950-5

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