YWA HTIN Iron Age burials

in the Samon Valley, Upper Burma

Preface by JEAN-FRANCOIS JARRIGE

Member of the Institute

President of the Musée Guimet

under the direction of

JEAN-PIERRE PAUTREAU

Director of Research at the CNRS

Head of the French Archaeological Mission in Myanmar

300 MISSION ARCHEOLOGIQUE FRANCAISE AU MYANMAR

 YWA HTIN
Iron Age burials in the SamonValley, Upper Burma

The excavation of the Ywa Htin Iron Age site in the region of Pyaw Bwe
(Mandalay), carried out by a French-Burmese team, led to the discovery
of 180 graves (65 skeletons were found to be in a more or less good state
of conservation).
This volume first of all presents the research project and the conditions
for excavation. The anthropological field study was complemented by
a specific study of children’s graves and by an odontological study. The
ensemble of the remains discovered is presented, followed by analysis
and specialised studies (ceramology, typology of bronze axes, analysis of
glass and semi-precious stone ornaments, copper and bronze analyses,
and carbon dating) complete the monograph.
The inventory of the graves is followed by a list of the objects found on
the site and those examined in public and private collections.
The work replaces the discoveries in their context of the Samon valley
around Pyaw Bwe and, more generally, at the heart of regional exchanges
which took place during the Iron Age.

Jean - Pierre Pautreau, born in 1946, is a senior research archaeologist

with the C.N.R.S. (National Centre for Scientific Research) at Rennes
University 1 (France) and lecturer at Poitiers University. Specialist in
late Prehistory and the Iron and Bronze Ages (Phd in 1976 on the
Bronze Age) he has directed research in France, Portugal, Russia,
and since 1985 in South-east Asia. He has directed the French
Archaeological Mission in Thailand and Myanmar since 1995 and is
currently working on burial sites in the Samon valley (Myanmar). He
has published many papers, reports and books.

MINISTÈRE
DES
AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES This publication was made possible by The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
301
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

Under the direction of

Jean-Pierre Pautreau, Directeur de recherche au CNRS, UMR 6566, responsable de la mission archéologi-
que française au Myanmar. Laboratoire d’Anthropologie, UMR 6566 CNRS (Campus de Beaulieu, av. Genéral
Leclerc F - 35042 Rennes, France), 2, rue Saint-Nicolas, F-86370 Château-Larcher, France Tél. (33) 5 49 43 50
56 Fax. (33) 2 23 23 69 34. e-mail : jean-pierre@pautreau.fr

Aung Aung Kyaw, Research officer, Mandalay Department of Archaeology, Corner of 70th and 28th
Streets, Chan-aye-tha-san Township, Mandalay, Union of Myanmar took part in the field.

Anne-Sophie Coupey, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Mission archéologique française au Myanmar, Bât. Estérel,
Appt. 143, Allée du Mas de la Pierre levée, F-16000 Angoulême, France Tél. (33) 6 79 51 87 59. e-mail : cou-
peyas@yahoo.fr
Patricia Mornais, INRAP, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Mission archéologique française au Myanmar, 18, rue des
Trois Rois, F-86000 Poitiers, France Tél. (33) 5 49 88 89 15. e-mail : mornais.patricia@neuf.fr
Florence Pellé, Mission archéologique française au Myanmar, 17, route de Sémussac, F-17132 Meschers,
France took part in the field, post excavation studies and analysis. e-mail : flopelle@hotmail.com

Jean-Christophe Le Bannier, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Campus de Beaulieu, av. Genéral Leclerc, F-35042
Rennes, France Tél. (33) 2 23 23 61 09. e-mail : jean-christophe.lebannier@univ-rennes1.fr
Bérénice Bellina, Chargée de recherche au CNRS, co-directeur de la mission Franco-Thai “Khao Sam
Kaeo” Thaïlande péninsulaire. Laboratoire “Mondes iranien et indien”, UMR 7528 du CNRS, 27, rue Paul
Bert, F-94204 Ivry-sur-Seine, France Tél. (33) 1 49 60 40 05 - Fax. (33) 1 45 21 94 19. e-mails : berenice.bel-
lina@wanadoo.fr and berenice bellina@ivry.cnrs.fr
Bernard Gratuze, Institut de Recherches sur les Archéomatériaux - Centre Ernest Babelon, CNRS, Institut
de Recherches sur les Archéomatériaux - Centre Ernest Babelon, CNRS, 3D, rue de la Férollerie, F-45071
Orléans cedex 2, France Tél. (33) 2 38 25 78 39, Fax (33) 2 38 25 76 88, e-mail : babelon@cnrs-orleans.fr
Christophe Maitay, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Mission archéologique française au Myanmar, 36, rue du Pigeon
Blanc, F-86000 Poitiers, France Tél. (33) 6 75 60 04 67. e-mail : christophe.maitay@wanadoo.fr
Christophe Moulherat, Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur les textiles anciens, 24, rue Louis Blanc, F-
75010 Paris, France Tél. (33) 6 73 48 43 71. e-mail : christophe.moulherat@free.com
Ni Ni Khet, UMR 6566 du CNRS, 345, Bo Aung Kyaw St., Yangon, Myanmar Tél. (95) 9 51 09 659. e-mail :
nnkhet@mptmail.net.mm
Josick Peuziat, Collaborateur UMR 6566 CNRS, 24 bis, avenue de la Gare, F-29100 Douarnenez. Tél. (33)
2 98 74 25 64. e-mail : josick.peuziat@wanadoo.fr
Guirec Querré, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Campus de Beaulieu, av. Genéral Leclerc, F-35042 Rennes, France,
Tél. (33) 2 23 23 59 16. e-mail : guirec.querre@univ-rennes1.fr
Emma Rambault, UMR 6566 du CNRS, Mission archéologique française au Myanmar, La Maison Neuve,
79350 Chiché, France Tél. (33) 6 62 32 53 20. e-mail : sakuraemma@hotmail.com, took part in analysis and
laboratory work.
CONTENTS
List of contributors...........................................................................................4
Preface.................................................................................................................7
Acknowlegements..............................................................................................9
Presentation.....................................................................................................11
The project......................................................................................................11
The site............................................................................................................12
The surveys......................................................................................................14
Surveys map A26/27, K23 and K/L20..........................................................16
Surveys map M21/22 and M/N12/13............................................................17
Surveys map N21/22 and N/O8/9...............................................................18
Surveys map O11/12.....................................................................................19
Surveys map P10 and Q13.............................................................................20
Surveys map R/S37/38 and R/S 39/40........................................................21
Surveys map T/U37/38.................................................................................22
Surveys map T/U38/39.................................................................................23
Anthropological field observations..............................................................25
Fieldwork data: state of conservation of the graves......................................25
The graves, Methods of burial........................................................................26
Three particular graves....................................................................................27
Positioning of the graves and indication........................................................27
Links?..............................................................................................................28
Children’s burials places.................................................................................30
Burial methods...............................................................................................30
Accompanying grave goods...........................................................................31
Grave ensemble n°1.......................................................................................32
Funeral urns...................................................................................................32
Discoveries and decriptions.............................................................................32
Bones remains and position of the body...........................................................33
Room in the necropolis...................................................................................33
Accompanying grave goods.............................................................................34
Dental study........................................................................................................35
Grave goods associated with the deceased.................................................38
Various vases...................................................................................................38
Pottery vessels................................................................................................38
Pottery vases........................................................................................................41
The different types of vases...................................................................................41
Group A : closed shapes with neck..........................................................................41
Group B: cylindrical vases.....................................................................................43
Group C : open and low shaped..............................................................................44
Group D : vases with perforated seal........................................................................46
Few macroscopic and microscopic observations..........................................................47
The different sorts of clays.....................................................................................47
The construction..................................................................................................48
Decoration........................................................................................................48
Firing..............................................................................................................48
Basketwork and metal vases.............................................................................49
Personal objects and offerings........................................................................50
Analyses of bronze vases from the Samon valley..................................................51
Copper-based alloy artefacts.............................................................................52
Bronze socketed axes........................................................................................53
Bronze axes from the Samon Valley...................................................................54
Bronze socketed spearheads...............................................................................56
Little copper wire bundles.................................................................................56
Analysis of copper wire bundles..........................................................................57
Bundle from Ywa Htin village..............................................................................57
Bundle from burial 141.......................................................................................58
Other bronze artifacts.......................................................................................59
The Myauk Mee Gon horse..............................................................................60
Iron metallurgy..............................................................................................61 Ywa Htin, Iron Age: Burial group n°16, Grave
145, field drawing/ Age du Fer : Ensemble
Traces of textiles............................................................................................62 sépulcral n°16, tombe 145, relevés de terrain
(A.-S. Coupey, MAFM)
First evidence of archaeological textiles in Myanmar............................................63 

Ywa Htin, Iron Age: Burial group n°16, Grave
112, field drawing/ Age du Fer : Ensemble
sépulcral n°16, tombe 112., relevés de terrain
(A.-S. Coupey, MAFM)
Results and interpretation of the analyses................................................................63
Description........................................................................................................63
Materials and methods..........................................................................................63
Preparation of the samples......................................................................................63
Equipment and experimentation................................................................................64
Results and argumentation.....................................................................................64
The cloth : technical characteristics...............................................................................64
The canvas........................................................................................................64
Identification of the fibres.......................................................................................64
Conclusion..........................................................................................................65
The ornaments.................................................................................................66
Molten Glass Ornaments....................................................................................66
Archeometric Study of Elements of Iron Age Glass Ornaments discovered on Burmese Sites......67
Introduction.......................................................................................................67
Glass Beads from South-East Asia.......................................................................67
Elements of Glass Ornaments from Burmese Ywa Htin, Myo Hla and Ohh Min Sites..68
Conclusion..........................................................................................................70
Stone beads...................................................................................................70
Stone ornaments from Ywa Htin........................................................................71
The collection from Ywa Htin...............................................................................71
Method of analysis..............................................................................................71
Analysis of the collections.....................................................................................71
The stones........................................................................................................71
Morphometry, Morphologies..................................................................................72
All types of beads (decorated or not) and all collections......................................................72
Comparisons of the morphologies..............................................................................72
Distribution of morphologies in Ywa Htin collections.......................................................73
Decorated beads (“etched beads”)..............................................................................77
Comparisons of the dimensions of ornaments items from Ywa Htin........................................77
Comparisons of the dimensions of Ywa Htin ornaments with ornament from India.......................77
Techniques of perforation......................................................................................82
Finishing techniques.............................................................................................82
Conclusion..........................................................................................................85
Bone beads...................................................................................................85
Stone tools and pebbles...................................................................................85
Fauna and shell deposits...................................................................................86
Conclusion concerning the accompanying remains.............................................86
General comments..........................................................................................87
The Timeline..................................................................................................87
Relative Chronology.......................................................................................87
Conclusion......................................................................................................90
Catalogue of the graves excavated in 2002 and 2003..............................93
Artefacts observed in the village................................................................168
Metallic artefacts..........................................................................................168
Pottery-vessels.............................................................................................169
Beads............................................................................................................171
Mr Win Maung’s collection..........................................................................173
Bronze axes from Ywa Htin........................................................................173
Iron tools from Ywa Htin...........................................................................177
Beads from Ywa Htin..................................................................................182
Pagan Museum..............................................................................................183
Ywa Htin vases.............................................................................................183
Ywa Htin bronze axe....................................................................................183
Sommaire (french section)..........................................................................184
Abstracts.........................................................................................................289
References......................................................................................................294