Padah-Lin Caves
Padah-Lin Caves (Burmese: ဗဒလင်းဂူ, pronounced [bədəlíɴ ɡù]; also Padalin or Badalin[1]) are limestone caves located in Taunggyi District, Shan State, Burma (Myanmar). It is located near a path from Nyaunggyat to Yebock,[2] on a spur of the Nwalabo mountains within the Panlaung Reserved Forest.[3] There are two caves; the smaller of the two contains paintings from between the mesolithic and early neolithic periods.[2]
History
A superficial investigation of the caves in Shan State had been performed by the American South-East Expedition for Early Man in 1937–1938, and geologist U Khin Maung Kyaw discovered the paintings in 1960.[3] In 1969–1972, the Burmese government organized a more in-depth investigation,[3] and another expedition to the caves was mounted in 2004.[1]
This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 4 October 1996 in the Cultural category.[4]
Contents
Charcoal pieces that were found in one cave during initial excavations from 1969–1972 have been carbon dated to 13,000 years old (before present).[4] Cave paintings produced in red ochre have been found, as well as various paleolithic and neolithic tools,[4] over 1600 stone artifacts as well as many pieces of bone and red ochre.[3] The walls of the cave have also been decorated with carved patterns.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b Tacon, Paul S. C.; Yee Yee Aung; Thorne, Alan (2004), "Myanmar prehistory: rare rock-markings revealed", Archaeology in Oceania, 39 (3): 138–139
- ^ a b Whitley, David S. (2001), Handbook of Rock Art Research, Rowman Altamira, p. 770, ISBN 978-0-7425-0256-7
- ^ a b c d Aung Thaw (1969), "The 'neolithic' culture of the Padah-Lin Caves" (PDF), Journal of Burma Research Society, 52 (1): 9–23
- ^ a b c Badah-lin and associated caves - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ Yee Yee Aung (2008), "New discoveries in the Badah-lin caves, Myanmar", 12th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, Leiden, The Netherlands.