How ancient moats and salt shaped the history of Thailand's second-largest province
In short: Nakhon Ratchasima, often called Khorat, is a massive province in northeastern Thailand with a history stretching back to the Neolithic. Beyond its modern status as a regional economic powerhouse, the landscape holds secrets of Iron Age chiefdoms, Khmer-era temple networks, and mysterious moated settlements that once dominated the Mun valley.
The upper Mun valley has been a site of human activity since the Neolithic period, with evidence of early rice farming and weaving. By the Iron Age, between 400 BCE and 300 CE, the region saw the rise of complex settlements ringed by moats and banks. These features are often interpreted as water management systems designed to store water during drier periods, though they likely served defensive and agricultural purposes as well. Archaeological finds, such as a man buried with 150 bronze bangles and gold-covered silver ear coils at Noen U-Loke, suggest the emergence of a social hierarchy during this era.
Salt production played a pivotal role in the regional economy. Small mounds surrounding prehistoric sites are filled with salt-boiling equipment, suggesting that salt was a key commodity traded for metals, glass, and carnelian. While some scholars have interpreted these moated sites as evidence of organized chiefdoms, others remain cautious, noting the lack of clear central citadels. By the 6th to 9th centuries, the region saw the influence of Dvaravati culture, evidenced by Buddhist artifacts like the dhammacakra found at Mueang Sema, the only one of its kind known on the Khorat Plateau.
By the 11th century, the area became a central part of the Khmer Empire, with Phimai serving as a major hub. The Khmer period saw a shift in settlement patterns, with smaller, unenclosed hamlets replacing the large moated villages of the past. This era left behind numerous temples, often built on poor or saline soils to facilitate land clearing and resource extraction. Following the decline of the Khmer influence, the region experienced a period of relative obscurity until the written record resumed around 1600, when Khorat was fortified and established as a provincial center under Thai control.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Nakhon Ratchasima province
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