The Glass Beads of Ban Bon Noen, Central Thailand

Recent excavations at the site of Ban Bon Noen in central Thailand produced glass beads from cultural deposits dated between 400 B.C. and A.D. 700. Most of the beads at the site fall into the category known as mutisalah and probably originated in India. Their relatively dense occurrence at Ban Bon Noen in nonmortuary contexts suggests that the site may have functioned as a node in a trade network linking Southeast Asia to India during the Iron Age. KEYWORDS: Prehistoric glass beads, Thailand archaeology, prehistoric trade