Tham Ong Bah - KA0161

Length 150m Depth 10m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

Approximately 10 km west of Sri Sawat on the track to the Muang Rae Bo Yai lead mines. Martin Ellis - 22/08/2019

Description

Martin Ellis - 22/08/2019

A highly significant archaeological site. The 5 m high entrance leads to a spacious, fairly level, well decorated single passage 10-15 m high and wide, the site of several arcaheological excavations in 1960 and 1965 from which (despite extensive looting) numerous coffins, drums, bracelets, iron tools, beads and pottery were removed. The coffins have been dated to 2180 +/- 100 years BP.

Topographie

Martin Ellis - 22/08/2019

SÏRENSEN, PER (1974) - Unknown grade

Documents

[Topo] Tham Ong Bah 28/04/2019
Bibliography 22/08/2019
  • +Bolger, Terry (1999) "Thailand 1997" Australian Caver No. 148 pp21-26 +COGGAN, MARJORIE; DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT; ANDERSON, NEIL (EDS.) (1999) "Tham Sanuk: The Lighter Side Of Caving In Thailand" Canberra, 76pp +DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT (1995) "The Caves of Thailand" Speleological Research Council, Sydney ISBN 0-9589253-9-9 +HEEKEREN, H.R. VAN (1962) "A Brief Survey of the Sai Yok Excavations 1961-1962 Season of the Thai-Danish Prehistoric Expedition" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 50 No. 1 pp15-18 +Heekeren, H.R. van (1963) "Thai-Danish Prehistoric Expedition 1960-1962" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 51 No. 1 pp79-84 +Kaufmann, Georg (1997) "Thailand 97. Exploration in the National Parks of Thung Salaeng Luang, Thung Saliam, and Sri Nakarind" International Caver No. 21 pp13-18 +KAUFMANN, GEORG; BOLGER, TERRY (1997) "Thailand 1997. Exploration in the National Parks of Thung Salaeng Luang, Tham Chaoram and Sri Nakarind" Canberra Speleological Society Inc. unpublished report for the Royal Forest Department, Bangkok 26pp +Kusch, Heinrich (1982a) "Ergebnisse spelaologischer forschungen in Thailand (Stand 1978)" Die Hohle Vol. 33 No. 2 pp59-69 +Kusch, Heinrich (2006) "Prõhistorische H÷hlenfundplõtze im Changwat Kanchanaburi, Westthailand - H÷hlengebiete S³dostasiens XVI" Die Hohle Vol. 56 Nos 1-4 +Nielsen, Eigil (1961) "The Thai-Danish pre-historic expedition 1960-1962. Preliminary expedition 1960-61" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 49 No. 1 pp47-55 +NIELSEN, EIGIL (1962b) "The Thai-Danish Prehistoric Expedition 1960-1962 I" Folk Vol. 4 pp21-27 +Pumijumnong, Nathsuda; Wannasri, Sineenart (2015) "Teak log coffins in Northwest Thailand: Dated by dendrochronology and 14Cwiggle matching" Applied Environmental Research Vol. 37 No. 2 pp1-16 +Scott, Victoria N. (2011) "Interpretations of ritual in the rock-art of Kanchanaburi Province and Uthai Thani Province, Thailand" MA thesis, School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Unpublished. 96pp +Shoocongdej, Rasmi (1996b) "Rethinking the development of sedentary villages in Western Thailand" Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Bulletin No. 14 pp203-212 +SMART, DEAN (1997b) "In The Monks Footsteps" Descent No. 137 p23 +SMART, DEAN (1997c) "The Caving Scene: Thailand" The International Caver No. 20 p43 +Suchitta, Pornchai (1989b) "Book reviews: S°rensen, Per (1988) 'Archaeological excavations in Thailand û Surface finds and minor excavations'" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 77 No. 1 pp110-111 +SÏRENSEN, PER (1962) "The Thai-Danish Prehistoric Expedition 1960-1962 II" Folk Vol. 4 pp28-46 +SÏRENSEN, PER (1973) "The Kettle Drums from Tam Ongbah" Archaeological Excavations in Thailand Vol. 4 +SÏRENSEN, PER (1974) "Prehistoric Iron Implements from Thailand" Asian Perspectives Vol. 16 No. 2 pp134-173 +SÏRENSEN, PER (1979) "The Ongbah Cave And Its Fifth Drum" in SMITH, R.B. & WATSON, W. (EDS) "Early South-east Asia" Oxford University Press, Oxford pp78-97 +SÏRENSEN, PER (1988) "Archaeological Excavations In Thailand: Surface Finds and Minor Excavations" Scandinavian Institue of Asian studies Occasional Paper No. 1, Curzon Press, London ISBN 0-7007-0179-6 156pp +Svasti, Pichaya (2016) "Legacy of early man" Bangkok Post 30 June 2016 +You-di, Chin (1959) "Thailand" Asian Perspectives Vol. 3 No. 1 pp27-29

History

In 1958 or 1959 Mr Chin You-di and Mr Charoen Phanudhi found in the cave two bronze kettledrums of the Dongson Culture, and many interesting pieces of prehistoric pottery both plain and decorated. 1960-12-11 & 12 Cave studied by Danish archaeological expedition. 1961-12 Cave studied by Danish archaeological expedition Martin Ellis - 22/08/2019

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
2.6Tham Mai - KA0196
8.2Cave KA0300 - KA0300
8.5Tower Sink 2 - KA03891212
9.2Coffin Cave KA299 - KA0299
10.3Tham Sao Hin - KA017811300
10.7Tham Phu Toei - KA01924000
10.8Cave KA0193 - KA0193
10.8Big Buddha Cave [KA0194]
10.9Tham Sao Hin Sink - KA0472