Return to P'ong Tuk: Preliminary Reconnaissance of a Seminal
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Return to P’ong Tuk: Preliminary Reconnaissance of a Seminal Dvaravati Site in West-central Thailand A thesis presented to the faculty of the Center for International Studies of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Wesley S. Clarke March 2012 © 2011 Wesley S. Clarke. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Return to P’ong Tuk: Preliminary Reconnaissance of a Seminal Dvaravati Site in West-central Thailand by WESLEY S. CLARKE has been approved for the Center for International Studies by Elizabeth Collins Professor of Classics and World Religions Christine Su Interim Director, Southeast Asian Studies Daniel Weiner Executive Director, Center for International Studies 3 Abstract CLARKE, WESLEY S., M.A., March 2012, Southeast Asian Studies Return to P’ong Tuk: Preliminary Reconnaissance of a Seminal Dvaravati Site in West-central Thailand (238 pp.) Director of Thesis: Elizabeth Collins. The archaeological site of P’ong Tuk, located in Kanchanaburi Province, west-central Thailand, was subject to field investigations by George Coedes in 1927 and H. G. Quaritch Wales in 1935. Both investigations uncovered sub- stantial material remains, including architectural and mortuary features and ritual objects, used to help define an early Buddhist “Dvaravati” cultural expression in the region of central Thailand. These early investigations, however, while regularly cited in the scholarly literature, were brief and minimally reported. The present study undertakes a reevaluation of the Coedes and Quaritch Wales data in light of new concepts and comparative evidence for the Dvaravati culture, as well as an integration of the published material with newly available information from Quaritch Wales’ field notes, and from a field reconnaissance of P’ong Tuk in 2008. This re-evaluation and integration of site data permits the identification of several new cultural patterns at the site, as well as new avenues for future research. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Elizabeth Collins Professor of Classics and World Religions 4 Dedication Dedicated to my patient spouse Hattie. 5 Acknowledgments I would like to sincerely thank the staff of the National Research Council of Thailand, specifically Kanchana Pankhoyngam, Chobvit Lubpairee, Pannee Panyawattanaporn, and Yada Sommarat for their guidance in preparing and conducting my research plan. I also thank Supamas Doungsakun of the 2nd Regional Office of Fine Arts Department, Suphanburi, for serving as my Thai collaborator and for her help in the field at P’ong Tuk. Somchai Na Nakhonphanom, Executive Director of the the National Museum, was gracious in allowing me to photograph Dvaravati artifacts on display in Bangkok. I am also indebted to my archaeological colleagues Podjanok Kanjanajuntorn, now professor with the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology at Thammasat University, Patumtani, Thailand; and Rachanie Thosarat, retired from the Fine Arts Department of Thailand and currently a Research Associate in Anthropology at the University of Otago (New Zealand), for providing indispensable advice and encouragement regarding this research project; and for the substantial efforts of my friend Katherine McConigley, currently Senior Investigator with the Western Austrailian Department of Environment and Conservation, to conduct a detailed search in person of the Coedes holdings at the National Library of Australia, Canberra. The spousal team of Kob Kachonsittinoppakun and Pop Indrapiboon also provided translation and transportation services, as well as genial companionship, that were essential to the success of my field work. Venerable Phra Khru Jariyaphirat, abbot of Wat Dong Sak, was a gracious host and indispensable source of information and encouragement during our visit to P’ong Tuk. His willingness to make the wat’s collection available for this research was a blessing both academically and personally. I am also grateful for the patient support and guidance of my thesis committee, composed of Elizabeth Collins (Department of Classics & World Religions), chair, William Frederick (Department of History), and Marion Lee (School of Art). I would also like to thank the Director of the Southeast Asian 6 Studies Program, variously Drew McDaniel and Gene Ammarell, for their academic advice and encouragement, and most recently, Interim Director Christine Su for her help in finalizing my Master’s program at Ohio University. I also gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the Southeast Asian Studies Program in support of my overseas research. 7 Table of Contents Page Abstract ................................................................................................................3 Dedication.............................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................5 List of Tables ......................................................................................................10 List of Figures .....................................................................................................11 Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................15 The site of P’ong Tuk – geophysical setting.............................................18 P’ong Tuk – site characteristics. ..............................................................25 Coedes and Quaritch Wales: General finds and interpretations. .............31 The Dvaravati context ..............................................................................37 The “Indianization” concept......................................................................48 Permit from the National Research Council of Thailand...........................51 Research objectives and methods. ..........................................................52 Chapter 2: Newly Documented Buddha Figures ............................................54 Introduction. .............................................................................................54 Approaches to classification.....................................................................56 The Mon-Dvaravati sculptural idiom.........................................................57 The published Buddha assemblage.........................................................59 The Wat Dong Sak assemblage. .............................................................63 New Buddhas: Overview..........................................................................77 8 Chapter 3: Other Items Documented from the P’ong Tuk Locality ..................80 Introduction. .............................................................................................80 Stucco and terracotta...............................................................................80 Votive tablets/clay sealings......................................................................90 Sculptural fragments. ...............................................................................97 Other items: Overview..............................................................................98 Chapter 4: The P’ong Tuk Visnu ..................................................................101 Introduction. ...........................................................................................101 Visnu in first millennium Southeast Asia. ...............................................107 The Hindu component in Dvaravati........................................................117 The P’ong Tuk Visnu..............................................................................120 P’ong Tuk Visnu: Overview....................................................................135 Chapter 5: Evaluation of Archaeological Features .......................................137 Introduction. ...........................................................................................137 Quaritch Wales field notes. ....................................................................138 Coedes field notes. ................................................................................141 Non-architectural features......................................................................143 Coedes and Quaritch Wales architectural features................................149 Architectural features identified by the present research. ......................166 Architectural and other features: Overview. ...........................................172 Chapter 6: Human Remains at P’ong Tuk....................................................175 Introduction. ...........................................................................................175 9 Evaluation of the crania collected by Quaritch Wales. ...........................177 Evaluation of architectural features with human remains associated.....179 Evaluation of spatial and temporal relationships among the human remains and architectural features.........................................................184 Comparative mortuary sites. ..................................................................195 P’ong Tuk human remains: Overview. ...................................................201 Chapter 7: Conclusions................................................................................203 The site of P’ong Tuk. ............................................................................204 Research potential