Laos in the Ancient World
Laos in the Ancient World refers to the historical and cultural developments in the region now known as Laos before it became a unified nation in 1350 CE. The earliest known civilization in this area is associated with the Megalithic culture, which emerged on the Plain of Jars during the first half of the first millennium BCE. This civilization is marked by impressive stone structures and burial jars used for interring the dead, often accompanied by bronze artifacts and pottery. The second phase of this culture, lasting from around 500 BCE to the first century CE, saw the cremation of the dead, with ashes placed in carved jars, indicating evolving burial practices.
The Lao people belong to the Tai linguistic group, which is believed to have originated in southern China and gradually migrated southwards into Laos, Thailand, and northern Vietnam. This migration occurred alongside the spread of Chinese influence and brought the Tai people into contact with established Southeast Asian principalities, such as Funan and Champa. As a result, the Lao absorbed various Indian customs and traditions, shaping the cultural landscape of Lao society. Overall, while the political entity of Laos emerged much later, the rich tapestry of its ancient history reveals deep cultural roots and interactions with neighboring civilizations.
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Laos in the Ancient World
Date: c. 1000 b.c.e.-c. 700 c.e.
Locale: Southeast Asia, north and east of modern Thailand, west of modern Vietnam
Laos in the Ancient World
Most historians agree that Laos did not exist as a nation until about 1350 c.e., when the Lao king Fa Ngum united the territories now known as Laos in the kingdom of Lan Xang. Nevertheless, the history of the land and the people is far older than Laotian political history. The earliest civilization in the land now known as Laos developed on the Plain of Jars some time in the first half of the first millennium b.c.e. This civilization is referred to as the Megalithic culture, after the upright stone slabs and the huge stone burial jars that give the plain its name. The slabs, which marked underground burial chambers, were products of the first phase of Megalithic culture. In addition to bodies, the burial chambers contained bronze artifacts and hand-thrown pottery.
The second phase of the Megalithic culture lasted from about 500 b.c.e. until the first century c.e. The people of this second phase cremated their dead and placed the ashes, along with bronze ornaments and glass beads, in massive jars, which were carved with iron tools. Aside from these remains, there are few clues to the identity of these early inhabitants of Laos, but archaeologists believe that the people of the Megalithic culture engaged in trade in salt and iron throughout the areas of northeastern Thailand, southern China, and northern Vietnam.
The Lao people are part of a linguistic group known as the Tai (frequently written as T’ai), which also includes the Thai speakers and various ethnic minority groups spread throughout Southeast Asia. The Tai peoples are generally believed to have lived in antiquity in southern China, in the region of the provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi. As the Han Chinese extended their power southward, the Tai people began moving down into Laos, Thailand, and northern Vietnam. This migration was gradual and probably extended over the course of the first millennium of the common era. References to the Lao people occur in Chinese and Vietnamese writings during this period.
The southward movement brought the Lao and other Tai peoples into contact with established principalities, notably those of Funan and Champa, which had been in contact with India and had been greatly influenced by Indian religious and political culture. From these earlier Southeast Asian civilizations, the Lao began to adopt many of the Indian customs and traditions that became part of Lao society.
Bibliography
Coedès, Georges. The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. Honolulu: East-West Center Press, 1968.
Stuart-Fox, Martin. A History of Laos. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997.