Living with Archaeological Heritage: Dialogical Experiences and Community Negotiations at Ban Chiang World Heritage Site, Thailand

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the complex interplay between archaeological heritage management and everyday community life at the Ban Chiang World Heritage Site in Thailand. This study utilized extensive ethnographic fieldwork (2015–2017) and Heritage Discourse Analysis (HDA) to investigate the construction of meanings surrounding Ban Chiang heritage by various stakeholders. The study focused on three main domains, including Ban Chiang archaeological artifacts, the heritage mound as a place of daily life, and community cultural traditions shown through the World Heritage Festival.

The research deploys critical heritage theory to critique established methods that grant dominant positions to expert-developed narratives over local knowledge systems. Ban Chiang heritage develops through a dialogical process involving historical and temporal activities that cultural participants undertake. The Tai Puan community implements active strategies to reappropriate, recycle, and renew externally imposed heritage frameworks, transforming archaeological objects into expressions of local identity and economic opportunity.

The Ban Chiang heritage experience encompasses personal spiritual bonds alongside collective memory traditions and normal daily routines that exceed authorized heritage interpretations. The research findings display conflicts between heritage protection needs and community development and reveal the uneven distribution of heritage benefits among community members. The site presents forward-thinking local programs that use pottery reinterpretation and spiritual materiality practices, along with festival performances, to unify disparate sectors.

This research positions Ban Chiang's heritage as both legacy and process, demonstrating how archaeological remains and living traditions can productively coexist. It offers practical insights for sustainable heritage management that honors scientific conservation requirements while fostering meaningful community engagement and shared heritage stewardship.

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