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22/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 22/11/2024 19:31

A pot unearthed; a legacy restored: U.S. returns Ban Chiang artifacts to Thailand

When American college student Stephen Young tripped over a tree root and landed on a partly buried earthenware pot in 1966, he could not have known that his stumble would trigger an archaeological dig that would ultimately rewrite the history of South-East Asia.

Almost 60 years later, on 14 November 2024, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec recounted this serendipitous discovery at a ceremony at Thailand's National Museum in Bangkok marking the repatriation of four ancient Ban Chiang artifacts to Thailand. The items-a fired clay vessel, a bracelet, and two cylindrical rollers-had been in safekeeping at the U.S. Embassy since the late 1960s, when they were gifted to an American soldier by the Thai government, he said. As Godec explained at the ceremony, 'Now is the right time to return these precious items back to their rightful home.'

U.S. Embassy Bangkok

The ceremony for the voluntary return of the Ban Chiang artifacts, which UNESCO co-organized with the U.S. Embassy and Thailand's Ministry of Culture, underscored global efforts to combat the illicit trade of cultural property. Addressing some 150 international delegates and press representatives in a video message from Paris, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Cultural Ernesto Ottone Ramirez said the event, which coincided with the International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property, also provided a platform to focus global attention on the importance of UNESCO's 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

'This return is significant not just for Thailand, but for global efforts to protect and preserve cultural heritage,' said Soohyun Kim, Regional Director of UNESCO's Regional Office in Bangkok. She praised the collaboration between the U.S. Embassy and Thailand's Fine Arts Department, emphasizing that 'every artifact, no matter how small, is a bridge to our shared human story.'

Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Thailand's Minister of Culture presents a token of appreciation to Rafik Mansour, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
UNESCO Bangkok

In a keynote speech Rafik Mansour, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, called the U.S. a 'strong supporter' of the 1970 Convention, adding that through the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, his country had invested more than $128 million to support 1,270 projects worldwide since 2001, including 128 projects in ASEAN countries.

Only four out of 10 South-East Asian countries have ratified the Convention to date. While Thailand is not among them, it has now drafted the legislation necessary for ratification, Thai PBS World reporteda week after the event. Passing it requires both cabinet and parliamentary scrutiny.

Layers of History at Ban Chiang

Ban Chiang, which UNESCO added to the World Heritage list in 1992, is celebrated for the insights it offers into humanity's transition from nomadic to settled civilizations.

The site's archaeological layers reveal early bronze production, wet rice agriculture, and intricate burial practices.

The artifacts' return home 'holds significant value, as they represent the culture and history of the land they derive from,' said Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Thailand's Minister of Culture. It would strengthen cultural ties with the United States, she added, noting that the U.S. had been a significant supporter of various projects related to Ban Chiang, 'particularly through the joint excavation and research conducted by the Fine Arts Department and the University of Pennsylvania in 1974.'

At a time when many are concerned about an increase in global division, 'These artifacts remind us of the value of cooperation and shared responsibility,' said UNESCO's Kim.

UNESCO TV / © NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai

The ceremony, at Thailand's National Museum in Bangkok, also included a seminar on combatting illicit trafficking, featuring experts from INTERPOL, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Antiquities Coalition. Discussions centered on international legal cases and what constitutes ethical acquisitions.

Thailand has recovered numerous artifacts through bilateral cooperation, including the return by the Met of the 'Golden Boy' (Standing Shiva) and 'Kneeling Female' statues in May 2024. Officials revealed at the ceremony that more returns are planned.

In his telling of the college student Stephen Young's story, Ambassador Godec described how the course of history often hinges on small, serendipitous moments: 'Many Thais and Americans share a belief in fate-or "choke char-tar." Call it what you will, it was an almost unbelievable stroke of luck that Stephen should quite literally fall on the discovery of a lifetime.'

A lifetime later, the return of the Ban Chiang artifacts is not just an opportunity to reflect on the serendipity of their discovery, but also on careful international efforts to preserve the past for future generations, and the importance of cooperation in bringing them home.

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