ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 of Designs on Pots reviews the archaeological context of Ban Chiang based on recent monographs about the site. The chapter first outlines the history of the discovery and interpretation of the site from the mid-fifties to the present day, followed by summaries of the sequencing and dating of Ban Chiang in relation to other sites on the Khorat plateau from the second millennium BCE to 200 CE. Particular attention is placed on the analysis of metal and ceramic artifacts from the site in relation to the burials. It includes the debates around regional chronology and concludes with some speculations about the infant and young child burials from the site.
