Searching for Bagan’s suburban neighborhoods: some initial results

Abstract

The IRAW@Bagan project is aimed at generating an integrated socio-ecological history for residential patterning, agricultural practices, and water management at the Classical Burmese (Bamar) capital of Bagan, Myanmar (11^th to fourteenth centuries CE) across a range of significant ecological, climatic, economic, socio-political, and religious changes. This objective is being achieved through a settlement archaeology study within the suburban settlement zone immediately surrounding Bagan’s walled and moated shwei myo taw, or “royal golden city.” This discussion presents the results of the initial test excavations at the Shwe Creek and Otein Taung residential sites, with emphasis on the nature of occupation surfaces and the character of associated features, artifacts, and ecofacts. The findings confirm that Bagan’s suburban zone does indeed contain evidence for habitation sites related to members of the commoner segment of the population.