S59-4

Khlong-Tom Boat: The Evidence of Ancient Maritime Trading Vessels During the 3rd Century CE in the Southern Part of Thailand

Underwater Archaeology Division; Thailand

Trading networks between Southeast Asia and other parts of the world have existed from the prehistoric past onwards, as evidenced through both archaeological research and historical records. In archaeology, it is traded products that provide by far the most evidence for inter-regional exchange networks. Far less is known about the maritime vessels that carried cargoes between trading partners along the coasts of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. When the remains of boats are discovered they provide unparalleled insights into maritime technology and seafaring capabilities. In 2019 the Underwater Archaeology Division (UAD) of the Fine Arts Department, Thailand discovered pieces of an ancient boat at the Khlong-Tom (Kuan Luk-Pad) archaeological site in Krabi province, Southern part of Thailand. This boat had a rather unique form of construction known as “Lashed-Lug” - whereby parts of the boat are secured to the symmetrically-shaped hull of the boat by ropes. This technique of boat construction is commonly found throughout Malay Peninsular and archipelago. Radiocarbon dating (AMS) of the boat (1,856 BP ±25) indicates that is was built and operated when the ancient port of Kuan Luk-Pad (2nd-7th century CE) was inhabited and operational. The discovery of the Khlong-Tom boat has shed new light on the technique constructing ‘lashed-lug’ boats for maritime trading during the protohistoric period, and provided new insights into the seafaring experience of the boat-builders.