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Prehistory of Myanmarpré
intro.htm
from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistory_of_Burma 111111
A compilation by
U Kyaw Tun (UKT) (M.S., I.P.S.T., USA), and staff of
Tun Institute of Learning (TIL). Not for sale.
No copyright. Free for everyone.
Prepared for students and
staff of TIL Research Station,
Yangon, MYANMAR :
-
http://www.tuninst.net ,
www.romabama.blogspot.com
index.htm | |Top
prehist-indx.htm
Introduction
1. Pre-migration period
1.1. Timeline
1.2. Mesolithic age
1.3. Neolithic age
1.4. Bronze age
1.5. Iron age
2. Migrations
3. Pre-Pagan period
3.1. Pyu
3.2. Mon
3.3. Arakan
4. Pagan Kingdom
5. Wiki-prehist-footnotes
6. Wiki-prehist-references
UKT notes
Contents of this page
Various human species had lived in the
region now known as Burma as early as
750,000 years ago or 700 BBE. They were
replaced by or probably mixed with
[1]
Homo sapiens — the only surviving
human species today [UKT -really? 'Migration'
is a European idea! ] — in 70BBE
70,000 BC when they came
across India to China.
[2] However,
evidences for the earliest human settlements
are not yet discovered. Current
archeological evidence dates the settlements
at about 11,000 BC in the
caves of Padah-Lin, which depicts
Neolithic culture.
[3]
They further advanced to Bronze Age and
to Iron age around 1,200 BC. These
indigenous people, together with later
migrating peoples formed mainstream of
present day Burmese civilization.
The more recent migrations occurred during
the third or fourth millennium BCE to last
millennium BC.
[4]
Pyu, Mon, Rakhine came from various parts
of South Asia. They brought cultural
diffusions among indigenous people
and resided in different parts of Burma
— with Pyu at the center, Mon at the South,
and Rakhine at the west. Mon,
Rakhine and Karen peoples
were believed to be the first identifiable
civilizations in this area
before arrival of Pyu peoples during the
2nd century BC.
By about 1500 BC, ironworks were in
existence in the Irrawaddy [River] Valley
followed by Iron age which began
around 1200 BC.
[5]
About 500 BC, a rice-growing population
was living in a densely settled various
systems of small cities and large villages
in the valleys of Upper Myanmar.
[3]
But Urban age probably did not emerge till
the last century BC when advances in
irrigation systems and the building of
canals allowed for year long agriculture
and the consolidation of settlements.
[5]
From the 2nd century BC to founding of
Pagan Dynasty in 11th century AD,
these peoples traded with India and
dynasities of China including Han
and Qin [dynasties]. These trades
brought Buddhism and coinage which further
spread to other South East Asian countries.
[4]
Contents of this page
Homo erectus began to settle in
Burma in 75,000 BC before the arrival of
Homo sapiens from Africa. Homo
sapiens is thought to have arrived to
Burma as early as 70,000 years ago.
[6] However,
archaeological evidences before the 11th
millennium are not yet discovered. The
pre-migration period of Burma, spans from
11,000 BC to 4,000 BC before the mass
migrations of
Pyu,
Mo and
Arakhan from India and
Tibet. This era is characterized by
Stone age culture which later advanced
to Bronze and Iron age cultures. The
cave ritual system, which later used for
Buddhism caves, is believed to have
rooted in earliest civilization of this
era. The effect can be seen today in
many Buddhism ritual caves across Burma.
[4]
Contents of this page
40 million year B.P.
Pondaungia cottelia (Poundaung
Primate) Live
in Pondaung area in Lower Chindwin district[7]
40-42 million years B.P.
Mogaungensis (Amphipothecus Primate) live in Mogaung village, Pale
township in Sagaing Division and in Bahin village, Myaing township in Magwe
Division.[7]
750,000-275,000 years B.P.
Lower Palaeolithic men of early Anyathian culture (Homo erectus)
lived along the bank of the Ayeyawaddy river.
275,000-25,000 years B.P.
Lower Palaeolithic men of late Anyathian culture
70,000 BC
Homo Sapiens arrived Burma.
11,000 BC
Upper Palaeolithic men (Homo Sapiens) live in
Badah-lin caves which situated in Ywagan township in southern Shan States.
7,000-2,000 BC
Neolithic men live in
central Myanmar,
Kachin
State,
Shan States,
Mon State,
Taninthayi Region, and along the bank of the
Chindwin and
Ayeyarwaddy rivers.
1500 BC
Earliest evidence of copper and bronze works, rice growing, domesticating
chickens and pigs in
Irrawaddy valley[8]
500 BC
Iron-working settlements south of present day
Mandalay[8]
100 BC
Pyu people enter the
Irrawaddy valley from north
Contents of this page
Roughly
polished stone implements of various sizes are often found in the
Shan States
of eastern Burma.[4][9]
Pebble tools, including choppers and chopping tools, are found in the
Pleistocene terrace deposits of the
Irrawaddy
Valley of
Upper Myanmar.[4]
These complexes are collectively known as the Anyathians, thus, the culture is
called the Anyathian culture. The Early Anyathian is characterized by
single-edged core implements made on natural fragments of
fossil
wood and silicified tuff, which are associated with crude flake implements.
However, domestications and polishing of stones, which are possible signs of
Neolithic
culture, are not known until the discovery of Padah Lin caves in Southern Shan
State.[10]
Contents of this page
The
Neolithic or New Stone Age, when plants and animals were first domesticated and
polished stone tools appeared, is evidenced in Burma by three caves located near
Taunggyi at
the edge of the Shan Plateau.[4]
They are dated between 11,000 to 6,000 BC. The most importance of these is the
Padah-Lin cave where over 1,600 of stones and cave paintings have been
uncovered.[11]
These paintings lie from ten to twelve feet above the floor level depicting
figures in red ochre of two human hands, a fish, bulls, bisons, a deer and
probably the hind of an elephant.[12]
The paintings may be interpreted as an indication that the cave was used as a
site for religious ritual. Thus, caves were among the earliest sites used for
worshiping in Burma. This is of importance because the use of caves for
religious purposes continued into later periods and may be seen as a bridge
between the earlier non-Burmese, Animist period and the later Buddhist period.[4]
Contents of this page
The
finding of bronze axes at Nyaunggan located in
Shwebo township suggests that Bronze Age of Burma began around 1500 BC in
parallel with the earlier stages of Southeast Asian bronze production.[13]
This period spans from 1500 to 1000 BC during which knowledge of the smelting
and casting of copper and tin seems to have spread rapidly along the Neolithic
exchange routes.[14]
Another notable site is the area of Taungthaman, near
Irrawaddy River within the walls of the 18th century capital, Amarapura, was
occupied from the late Neolithic through the early
iron age, around the middle of the first millennium BC.[4]
Small trades, barters as well as Animism had already begun in this age.
Contents of this page
Bronze and iron age cultures were found to be overlapping in Burma.[4]
In this era, wealth was accumulating due to agriculture and to access to the
copper resources of the Shan hills, the semi-precious stone and iron resources
of the Mount Popa Plateau, and the salt resources of Halin. This wealth is
evident in grave goods which includes items traded from Chinese kingdoms.[3]
When burying their dead, their new affluence encouraged these people to include
among the grave goods fine decorative ceramics produced by specialized potter
artisans as well as the more common household objects such as bowls and spoons.[4]
Contents of this page
The mass migrations occurred during the third or fourth millennium BCE to
last millennium BC.[4]
Pyu, Mon, Rakhine came from various parts of South Asia. They brought
cultural diffusions among indigenous people and resided in different parts
of Burma — with Pyu at the center, Mon at the South, and Rakhine at the west.
Mon,
Rakhine and
Karen
peoples were believed to be the first identifiable civilizations in this
area before arrival of Pyu peoples during the 2nd century BC.
The Pyu arrived in future Burma in the 1st century BCE or earlier and
established city-kingdoms at Binnaka, Mongamo, Sri Ksetra, Peikthanomyo,
Kutkhaing in the north, Halin gyi Thanlwin coastal line in the east,
Gulf of Martaban and its coast in the south, Thandwe in the southern west
and Yoma in the west.[15]
As early as 6th century, another people called the
Mon
began to enter the present-day Lower Burma from the Mon kingdoms of
Haribhunjaya and
Dvaravati
in modern-day
Thailand. By the mid 9th century, the Mon had founded at least two small
kingdoms (or large city-states) centered around
Pegu and Thaton.
Contents of this page
The Pre-Pagan period is the era when recent immigrants began to mix with
indigenous peoples. This era is characterized by Urban age when the city states
began to established. Most notable ancient cities were founded by Pyu and Mons
during this era.
Contents of this page
Pyu refers to a collection of city-states and their language found in the
central and northern regions of modern-day Burma (Myanmar) from 200 BC to 840
AD. The people of Pyu are believed to have been an
ethnic
group somewhat distinct from the
Bamar (Burmans),
although they may have intermarried with
Sino-Tibetan migrants who later became part of the Bamar ethnicity. The Pyu,
one of the founding fathers of the Bamar or Myanmar race, was believed to be the
mixture of indigenous people and the Tibeto-Burman immigrants.[16]
The Pyu, settled around
Pyay, and in the
northwestern Ayeyarwaddy valley. Trace of their presence can be found in
Sri Ksetra near Pyay, and in Beikthanoe in central Myanmar. From
approximately 200 BC, Pyu people built a number of walled cities in central
Burma, which are collectively known as Pyu city states whose plans consisted of
rounded squares or rectangles which are often referred to as South East Asia
indigenous creations.[4]
Pyu people practiced
Animism
before they contact with Indians thought trades and acquired Buddhism from them.
The evidence of inscriptions
[17] shows that their Buddhism was mixed up
with Hindu Brahmanic cults, Vaisnavism in particular.[18]
Eighth century Chinese records identify 18 Pyu states throughout the Irrawadddy
valley, and describe the Pyu as a humane and peaceful people to whom war was
virtually unknown and who wore silk cotton instead of actually silk so that they
would not have to kill silk worms. The Chinese records also report that the Pyu
knew how to make astronomical calculations, and that many Pyu boys entered the
monastic life at seven to the age of 20.[16]
It was a long-lasting civilization that lasted nearly a millennium to early
9th century until a new group of "swift horsemen" from the north, the Mranma,
(Burmans) entered
the upper Irrawaddy valley. In the early 9th century, the Pyu city states of
Upper Burma came under constant attacks by the
Nanzhao Kingdom in present-day
Yunnan. In 832,
the Nanzhao sacked then Halingyi, which had overtaken Prome as the chief Pyu
city state. A subsequent Nanzhao invasion in 835 further devastated Pyu city
states in Upper Burma. While Pyu settlements remained in Upper Burma until the
advent of the Pagan Empire in mid 11th century, the Pyu gradually were absorbed
into the expanding Burman kingdom of Pagan in the next four centuries. The Pyu
language still existed until the late 12th century. By the 13th century, the Pyu
had assumed the Burman ethnicity. The histories/legends of the Pyu were also
incorporated to those of the Burmans.[19]
Contents of this page
The earliest external reference to a Mon kingdom in Lower Burma was in 844-848
[AD?] by Arab geographers.[20]
The Mon practiced
Theravada Buddhism. The kingdoms were prosperous from trade. The
Kingdom of Thaton is widely considered to be the fabled kingdom of
Suvarnabhumi (or Golden Land), referred to by the tradesmen of Indian Ocean.
Contents of this page
According to legend, the first independent Arakanese kingdom was established
in 3325 BC by King Marayu. Buddhism was introduced into Rakhine during the
lifetime of Buddha himself. According to Rakhine Chronicles, the Buddha in his
lifetime, visited the city of Dhanyawadi in 554 BC. King Sanda Thuriya requested
the Buddha to leave an image of Himself.
UKT: Would the Gautama Buddha leave an image of himself? The question
arose, because, the Buddha did not leave any images in India - so far not
discovered. Why would he favour the Arakanese with one? It seemed that the
Buddha would have his followers follow his 'Damma' or teachings rather than
worship him as a god. I am asking this question with due respect to my
Arakanese friends, and with due respect to my name-sake U Kyaw Dun - my
father's Arakanese mentor. I was named after U Kyaw Dun but the name was
changed by to Kyaw Tun to be in keeping with a child when I started to go
school. - UKT111111
Contents of this page
The Burmans who had come down with the early 9th Nanzhao raids of the Pyu
states remained in Upper Burma. Trickles of Burman migrations into the upper
Irrawaddy valley might have begun as early as the 7th century.[21]
More recent research indicates that the people of Nanzhao were Tibeto-Burman,
and that the Burmans entered the Irrawaddy valley en masse in the 830s.) In 849,
fourteen years after the last Nanzhao raid, Pagan was founded as a fortified
settlement along a strategic location on the Irrawaddy near the confluence of
the Irrawaddy and its main tributary the
Chindwin.[22]
It may have been designed to help the Nanzhao pacify the surrounding country
side.[23]
Over the next two hundred years, the small principality gradually grew to
include its immediate surrounding areas— to about 200 miles north to south and
80 miles from east to west by
Anawrahta's
ascension in 1044.[24]
Contents of this page
01. ^ John Whitfield, Lovers or fighters
02. ^ Michael Petraglia, Tool tale
03. ^ a
b
c Bob Hudson, pp. 1
04. ^ a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l Richard M. Cooler,
2003, NIU
05. ^ a
b U Myint Thaung,
pp.45
06. ^ Göran Burenhult, pp.5
07. ^ a
b
Britannica, Amphipithecus
08. ^ a
b U Than Myint,
pp.45
09. ^ U Aung Thaw, pp 15
10. ^ Britannica, Anyathian-complex
11. ^ U Aung Thaw, pp. 13
12. ^ U Aung Thaw, pp. 12
13. ^ Bob Hudson, pp. 2
14. ^ Bob Hudson, pp. 3
15. ^ Dr Than Tun , “The Story of Myanmar
told in pictures”
16. ^ a
b Hall, pp.8-10
17. ^ Luce, pp.121
18. ^ BURMA, D. G 1960. Page 16
19. ^ Myint-U, pp. 51–52}}
20. ^ Hall, pp. 11-12
21. ^ Maung Htin Aung, pp. 329
22. ^ Victor Lieberman, pp 88-112
23. ^ Myint-U, p. 56
24. ^ GE Harvey, pp.24-25
• John Whitfield (February 18, 2008).
"Lovers, Not Fighters?". Scientific American.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lovers-not-fighters.
Retrieved 12 January 2011.
• Michael Petraglia (Sep 22, 2010).
"Tool tale: Man came to India from Africa 80,000 yrs ago - The Times of India".
India Times.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Tool-tale-Man-came-to-India-from-Africa-80000-yrs-ago/articleshow/6604340.cms#ixzz1Aqh25HnK.
Retrieved 12 January 2011.
• Richard M. Cooler (3 June 2003).
"Prehistoric and Animist Periods". Northern Illinois University.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/burmese/cooler/Chapter_1/Chapter_1.htm.
Retrieved 11 January 2011.
•
Thaw, U Aung (1969),
"The ‘neolithic‘ culture of the Padah-Lin Caves", Journal of Burma
Research Society 52 (1): 15,
http://www.lib.washington.edu/myanmar/pdfs/AT0001.pdf
•
"Anyathian complex.", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/29114/Anyathian-complex
•
Hudson, Bob (March 2005),
"A Pyu Homeland in the Samon Valley: a new theory of the origins of Myanmar's
early urban system", Myanmar Historical Commission Golden Jubilee
International Conference,
http://acl.arts.usyd.edu.au/~hudson/BH2005Jan.pdf
•
Burenhult, Göran (2000). Die ersten Menschen. Weltbild Verlag.
ISBN
3-8289-0741-5.
•
Myint-U, Thant (2006), The
River of Lost Footsteps: Histories of Burma, New York: Farrar, Strauss and
Giroux,
ISBN
0-374-16342-1
•
Maung Htin
Aung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge
University Press.
•
Victor B Lieberman (2003). Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global
Context, c. 800–1830, volume 1, Integration on the Mainland. Cambridge
University Press. pp. 88–112.
ISBN
978-0-521-80496-7.
• GE
Harvey (1925). History of Burma. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.. pp.
24–25.
•
Luce, G. H. (1981). Burma's Debt to Pagan. Burma: Journal of the Burma
Research Society. pp. 121 Vol. XXII.
•
Hall, D.G.E. (1960). Burma (3rd edition ed.). Hutchinson University
Library.
ISBN
978-1406735031
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End of TIL file