The Bronze Age of Southeast Asia

Some claim the earliest bronze working in the world occurred in South-east Asia; others dispute this. This book is an up-to-date account the Bronze Age of South-east Asia, exploring the controversy in depth.

Charles Higham (Author)

9780521565059, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 June 1996

400 pages, 110 b/w illus. 50 maps
23.5 x 19.1 x 2.1 cm, 0.69 kg

"Higham is to be congratulated for having integrated an enormous amount of data...into one readable text. ...this volume will remain an essential reference for scholars and students for some time to come." Crossroads

Some claim the earliest bronze production in the world occurred in South-east Asia; others say it occurred elsewhere. This book presents the debate surrounding the Bronze Age in the Indochina region, providing a systematic and regional presentaton of the current state of knowledge. It illuminates the question of indigenous technological evolution, contrasted with influence from neighbouring civilisations - in this case Southern China. Higham suggests that the the adoption of metallurgy, copper and tin smelting took place in South-east Asia following a period of trading with China, which provided the exotic bronzes. Using a thematic approach, he provides an up-to-date account of the South-east Asian and Chinese Bronze Age, documenting evidence site by site. This is the first time these regions have integrated in research to provide an understanding of how and why their distinct cultures developed.Tracing developments right through to the Iron Age, Higham identifies the distinct regional developments that anticipate the transition into the first Southeast Asia states.

1. Introduction
2. The discovery of the Bronze Age
3. The neolithic of South-east Asia and China
4. Central Thailand
5. The Mekong Valley
6. The Red and Zijang River valleys and coastal Vietnam
7. The Yunnan Plateau
8. External relationships of the South-east Asian Bronze Age: China, India and Island South-east Asia
9. Discussion and conclusions.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]