Ban Chiang artefacts returned to National Museum
The earthenware pieces had been gifted to the US Embassy in Bangkok in the 1960s by an American soldier
Representatives from UNESCO, the Culture Ministry and the Fine Arts Department were on hand yesterday (November 14) to mark the International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property with the handover of four artefacts by the US Embassy in Thailand.
Looted from Ban Chiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Udon Thani province that was a settlement and cemetery of prehistoric humans over 3,500 years ago, the four pieces of earthenware and tools with the iconic red patterns of Ban Chiang, were presented to an American soldier as a gift from the Thai government in the 1960s and had been kept at the embassy ever since, US Ambassador Robert Godec told those attending the ceremony.
“We hope that these artefacts will contribute to the further study and understanding of one of Southeast Asia’s most important prehistoric societies,” he said.
Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol thanked the United States government for returning the invaluable artefacts to Thailand, adding that the return of the objects would strengthen cultural ties and the long-standing and robust cooperation between the two countries.
Phnombootra Chandrajoti, director-general of the Fine Arts Department, said “Antiquities are the treasures of all humanity, and they are valuable wherever they may be. However, their impact is greatest when they return to their homeland. Over the years, the United States has helped make this a reality.”
Since 2009, a steady stream of smuggled Thai treasures discovered in US museum collections have been repatriated to Thailand. They include the 900-year-old “Golden Boy” statue, which was returned in May and displayed at the National Museum Bangkok after spending three decades in the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
