Maung Tha (Archaeology) A RCHITECTURAL works, sculptural works and religious monuments made of laterite can generally be dubbed as laterite culture. Professor G.H. Luce firstly used the word “laterite culture” as examples for Kyaikhtihsaung Pagoda and its walls decorated with reliefs of elephant and horse troops in Zokthok Village, Bilin Township, Mon State. Myanmar dictionary defines laterite is mixed with clay and rust.
Iron and aluminum from laterite convert themselves into oxide in mixing with oxygen from atmosphere. So laterite can be seen as reddish. It can be called unburned brick because of hardening in meeting with air. Laterite can be seen in Mon State, Bago, Ayeyawady and Yangon regions. Kyontu near Waw of Bago Region, and Htamalon and Padagyi in Thanlyin and Kyauktan townships of Yangon Region are significant laterite regions.
I remembered the long roads in Kyaiklat of Ayeyawady Region were paved with laterite. In fact, laterite is clay transformed into hard and compact stone, so it can be used in paving the roads as well as buildings. Statues can be made of laterite. Hence, laterite was used in making statues, pagodas, stupas, umbrellas and walls. That was why the regions where laterite was produced flourished laterite culture.
Ancient laterite works and various forms of reliefs made of laterite in modern designs can be seen in Myanmar. Students from post-graduate diploma course of Archaeology Department from Yangon University and some outstanding trainees made trips to some regions in Bago Region and Mon State to study laterite culture.
They paid visits to Kyontu of Waw Township in Bago Region and Kyaikkatha, Winka, Zokthok and Thaton of Mon State. Kyontu Ancient Kyontu pagoda mound is located two furlongs on right side of Yangon-Mawlamyine Road, one mile from Waw in Bago Region. The pagoda precinct of Kyontu located on eastern bank of Bago-Sitttoung Canal, northeast of Waw, can be seen from Yangon-Mawlamyine road. Two pagodas Naungdawgyi and Naungdawlay were situated on Kyontu pagoda mound. The collapsed Naungdawlay Pagoda was renovated in around 2012.
In this regard, the pagoda was built of brick on the laterite lower structure. Researchers assumed Kyontu was a region of Mon State flourishing laterite culture. (Now these pagodas do not have original works due to renovation.) A lake namely Myasein Lake with 150 feet in length, 100 feet in width and 20 feet in depth is located in southeast of Kyontu pagoda mound. Base of the lake is laid with bricks which are 18 inches in length, nine inches in width and three inches in thickness.
Moreover, baked earthen statues with 18 inches in diameter and four inches in thickness were found from the precinct of Kyontu pagoda. The statues decorated with dancers and music players encircled by dots in double circles. Broken baked statues are kept at the prayer hall of Kyontu Pagoda. Moreover, a pair of laterite lion statues in same sizes was found from the lake.
These lion statues are five feet and seven inches high each and are kept under shelter near the lake. A brick with finger lines with 15 inches in length, 7.5 inches in width and 2.5 inches in thickness, one more brick with 18.5 inches in length, nine inches in width and 2.5 inches in thickness and another one with 15.5 inches in length, 8.5 inches in width and three inches in thickness were also salvaged from the lake.
These bricks are under maintenance of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum. Generally, these bricks with finger lines were assumed as bricks in Pyu era. The bricks with finger lines found in Kyontu were seen with three crossing finger lines, finger lines in length, three hemisphere shape finger lines at each end, and vertical finger lines in central parts.
Broken bricks with finger lines are kept together with broken baked statues at Dhammayon in front of two Kyontu pagodas. Laterite culture researcher U Maung Maung Lwin explained these baked earthen statues may be works in 4th and 5th AD centuries. Kyaikkatha Kyaikkatha is located between Kyaikto and Moppalin, on the eastern bank of Sittoung River. Yangon-Mawlamyine railroad crosses the walls of Kyaikkatha. The eastern part of railroad is named Kawsan Village, the western Kyaikkatha Village. The two villages are combined as Kyaikkatha Village-tract.
Forestry Commissioner U Aung Myint himself discovered the ancient city Kyaikkatha in January 1981. The Archaeology Department carried out excavation at ancient Kyaikkatha city in 1986. Before entering Kyaikkatha Village, Department of Archaeology maintains a cave namely Moksoema Cave where a Mon queen took a shelter after Thaton city had deteriorated. It is manmade cave in a laterite hillock. Interior parts are formed with partitions for safety location.
Researchers reviewed Moksoema Cave may be a station for ancient infantry troops due to findings on close locations to the walls and systematic preparations to defend the enemy. It is 80 feet long and 20 feet wide. The entrance to the cave is two feet and three inches wide. A local said there was a bed made of laterite in the large room of cave but now there is nothing. Phaya Tahtaung mound is situated in Malotchaung Village, one mile from Kyaikkatha. We saw 42 mounds each along both sides of road to Phayahtaung Mound or Phaya Tahtaung Mound.
Each mound is 15-20 feet high. It can be assumed that small pagodas were built on each mound in the past. Now, a total of 14 gilt pagodas on the mounds. A building in a shape of Dhammayon was built near the pagoda on the mound. After clearing the bushes near the building, we saw Buddha images made of laterite. Moreover, we saw other laterite statues in the bushes.
Among them, two Buddha images made of laterite are situated back to back. One of the two is 33 inches high, 16 inches broad in width and 20 inches in breadth. The remaining one is 23 inches in breadth. Both images are in shape of Pyalammanasana called dangling position of legs similar to that of the Buddha image built by Queen Shin Saw Pu in Kyaikmaraw.
However, the images did not have heads. That is why the Buddha images with dangling position of legs existed in laterite cultural era in Myanmar. Walls decorated with reliefs of elephant and horse troops The laterite walls significantly decorated with reliefs of elephant and horse troops are located two furlongs southwest of Kyaikhtihsaung Pagoda in Zokthok Village of Bilin Township.
The ancient laterite wall is 420 feet long and 10 feet high. The left ending of the walls was 31 feet and eight inches thick of laterite. A total of 15 plots of laterite reliefs were carved on the walls. Each plot is created on 3.5 square feet area. Each plot is formed with two laterite pieces as high reliefs. Despite calling elephant and horse troops, the plots depict lion and elephant reliefs. Each plot is separated with vases with lotus flowers. The extended walls bear horse reliefs. Horse reliefs at the left end of the walls are not original works, said Associate Professor Dr Maung Maung Lwin of Archaeology Department from Mandalay University.
Frog, fish and turtle statues were made of laterite on the mound in east of elephant and horse troop reliefs but no one know the purpose of carving. A lake was seen near the walls decorated with elephant and horse reliefs. Locals said the lake was an area of extracting laterites to be used in building the walls. Similar large pits where laterite was extracted can be seen as lakes near the laterite pagodas similar to Kyaikhtihsaung Pagoda, Kyaikkatha Pagoda and Thaton Shwesaryan Pagoda.
Whatever it maybe, laterite images, pagodas and walls are ancient objects bearing historical images of laterite culture. They are firm evidences for new generations to conduct researches. However, it needs to preserve laterite works without strengths of resilience as stones against impacts of raining and flooding.
Translated by Than Tun Aung
Reference: Myanmar’s ancient cities from satellite photos (U Aung Myint) Suvannabhumi Research (U San Win) Papers on Suvannabhumi laterite culture (Maung Maung Lwin)
