Research & Article

The Pong Tuk lamp, a bronze lamp notable for its large size and excellent condition, was first reported by George Coedès in a 1928 article in the Journal of the Siam Society. Reporting on the archaeological remains from the village of Pong Tuk, Coedès asserted that the lamp was of Western manufacture, and was most likely imported from Italy, Greece, or the near East. Furthermore, he dated the lamp as being from the first or second centuries AD. In 1955, Charles Picard published his own study of the lamp, contending that the lamp was manufactured in Alexandria, Egypt and was made prior to the birth of Christ. This article refutes the statements of both researchers, arguing that the lamp actually dates to the 5th or 6th century AD. Furthermore, in addition to presenting evidence for the new date of the Pong Tuk lamp, the implications said date has on relations between Thailand and the West are also discussed.