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Ceramics in Burma

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Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures

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Prehistoric Earthen Wares

Late Palaeolithic Age : The prehistoric tradition of Myanmar (Burma) earthenware could be traced back as far as 13,400 ± 200 years before the present (BP) with some simple cord-marked potsherds, an earliest Hoabinhian culture or earlier than the Spirit Cave (Thailand), from the excavation of Padah-Lin caves in the Ywa-ngan Township (Shan State) in January 1969. The late Anyathian (12000–6000 BP) culture site in Myanmar belongs to the late Palaeolithic Age (75000–9500 BP).

Neolithic Age : The corded earthenware culture of the Neolithic Age (6000–4000 BP) was discovered at various places within the great basin where the Chindwin and Ayeyawady rivers flow from Kani down to Letpanchebaw and Thegone. Red-painted pottery from Halin and Twintaung are also included in this culture. Other prehistoric earthen pottery has been found, mostly by excavation, in Taungthaman (late Neolithic) (Fig. 1), and Nyaunggan (1500–300 BC) (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Neolithic earthenware from the...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyeemyindine Township, Yangon Region, Myanmar Ceramic Society (MCS), Room (21), Building (3), Panhlaing Housing, Panhlaing Road, 11101, Yangon, Yangon Region, Burma (Myanmar)

    Myo Thant Tyn

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  1. Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Helaine Selin

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Tyn, M.T. (2014). Ceramics in Burma. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10195-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10195-1

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