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Published on February 3, 2008

US federal agents last week recovered objects thought to be from the Ban Chiang civilisation during raids on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena's Pacific Asia Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and Mingei International Museum in San Diego.

"We are impressed by the diligence and dedication of the federal and state officials concerned that have brought these findings to light," said ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat.

The director of the Fine Arts Department, Kriangkrai Sampatchalit, said his department would seek an investigation to establish whether the objects were really from the Ban Chiang civilisation. The department has not yet received any new information beyond what was reported by the Los Angeles Times, he said.

The Ban Chiang civilisation existed in the northeastern province of Udon Thani from 1000BC to 200AD. It is considered the most important prehistoric settlement yet discovered in Southeast Asia and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1992.

The US warrants to search the four museums stated that the Ban Chiang objects were probably looted because they were first excavated by archaeologists in 1967, six years after Thailand banned the export of antiquities.

The Thai government never gave permission for the contested antiquities to leave the country. "If that is proven to be the case, then our experts would probably need further assistance from the US authorities concerned to bring the matter to be a proper conclusion," Tharit said.

Supalak G Khundee

The Nation