via The West Australian, 05 April 2024: Thailand’s Si Thep, an ancient city with a rich history dating back 800 to 1000 years, has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Si Thep showcases early Indian and Southeast Asian trade influences, Buddhist-era water management ingenuity, and the distinctive Dvaravati artistic style.
Si Thep is now officially recognised as Thailand’s biggest ancient city, centrally located on what was a major trade route. Settlement started some 200 to 400 years into the Christian era and continued until the 1200s — so for 800 to 1000 years.
There is evidence of early Indian and different South-East Asian influences through trade before Buddhism flowered in the eighth to 10th centuries. Still later came Khmer control from today’s Cambodia in the east, called the Angkor period.
It was Sukhothai’s rise as a distinctively Thai culture — language included — in the Chao Phraya River basin that led to Si Thep becoming abandoned.
Ingenious water management during the Buddhist era, including moats, ponds and irrigation, were key to sustaining Si Thep’s population over centuries in what is a dry inland region.
Source: Thailand’s Si Thep joins the big list to keep up with the Indiana Joneses | The West Australian