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The History and Practice of Archaeology in Laos

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Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology

Abstract

Archaeological discoveries in Laos have made contributions to our understanding of the earliest humans in the eastern hemisphere, as well as human behavior during the later Pleistocene. The country is strategically located for investigating the transition from foragers to farmers, but the archaeological record recovered so far is sparse. Currently the Iron Age in Laos is the best-documented period, with diverse and innovative themes represented in the literature. There is a small population of professional local archaeologists, employed by the government, who are engaged in cultural resource management activities, frequently in collaboration with international teams.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Nigel Chang and Joyce White for information on legislation and the organization of government offices relevant to cultural heritage management and archaeology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    Ben Marwick

  2. Ministry of Culture and Information, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

    Bounheung Bouasisengpaseuth

Authors
  1. Ben Marwick
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  2. Bounheung Bouasisengpaseuth
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Correspondence to Ben Marwick .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA

    Junko Habu

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Peter V. Lape

  3. School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    John W. Olsen

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Marwick, B., Bouasisengpaseuth, B. (2017). The History and Practice of Archaeology in Laos. In: Habu, J., Lape, P., Olsen, J. (eds) Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6521-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6521-2_8

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