The Dhamma wheel from Chainat, Thailand: an epigraphic excerpt from the Pali Dhammacakkappavattana , and related finds

Abstract. Chaiyong S, Pongamornkul W, Panyadee P, Inta A. 2023. Uncovering the ethnobotanical importance of community forests in Chai Nat Province, Central Thailand. Biodiversitas 24: 2052-2063. Ethnobotanical studies are crucial for understanding local communities' traditional knowledge and use of plants and conserving biodiversity. This is the first public ethnobotanical study in the Chai Nat Province. It is an essential contribution to the limited knowledge of the traditional use of plants in this region. Three key informants with high experience in traditional knowledge were selected through a small meeting in the village. Using a semi-structured interview method during the walk-to-the-wood method, we gathered data on 103 plant species belonging to 92 genera and 49 families. The majority of the plant species (57) were used for medicinal purposes, followed by food (38), materials (17), and other small categories. It is worth noting that some plant species were used in more than one category. Our study provides an in-depth understanding of local communities’ traditional knowledge and use of plants which is essential for managing and conserving these important resources. This study not only contributes to the field of ethnobotany but also highlights the importance of preserving traditional ecological knowledge for future generations.

This article focuses on the processes of flood management and the experiences of flood victims in Chainat Province, central Thailand, so as to develop knowledge about the future handling of such disasters. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to describe the processes of providing assistance to flood victims. In-depth interviews and observation were used to collect the data. Criterion sampling was used to select 23 participants. Content analysis of the data revealed that some flood victims could predict flooding based on prior experiences, so they prepared themselves. The data revealed six themes that demonstrated that those who could not predict how floods would impact on them were unprepared and suffered losses and disruption to their daily life. Damaged routes meant people could not go to work, resulting in the loss of income. There was a lack of sanitary appliances and clean drinking water, people were sick, and experienced stress. At the community level, people helped one another, making sandbags and building walls as a defense against water. They formed support groups to enable the processing of stressful experiences. However, later, the water became stagnant and contaminated, creating an offensive smell. The government provided assistance to cut off electricity services, food and water, toilets and health services, and water drainage. In the recovery phase, the victims needed money for investment, employment opportunities, books for children, extra time to pay off loans, reconnection of electricity, surveys of damage, and pensions to deal with damage and recovery.

This study investigated heavy metal contamination in drinking water in five Asian regions (East, Southeast, South, Central, and West Asia) with an interest in inorganic arsenic (iAs), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Human exposure, risks, and the disease burdens in terms of loss of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were analyzed. Concentrations of heavy metals and risks in different regions were variable. Hazard index (HI), cancer risk (CR) and DALYs were used as the health metrics. The total cancer risk was highest in Southeast Asia (2.18 × 10−4) followed by South Asia (1.61 × 10−4), West Asia (1.04 × 10−4), Central Asia (8.85 × 10−5) and East Asia (3.94 × 10−5). Cancer risks exceeding 1 × 10−4 (1 in 10,000) were considered higher risk while Southeast Asia had the highest risk. In terms of population-adjusted DALY, South Asia had the highest (1.95 × 105) followed by Southeast Asia (8.66 × 104), East Asia (2.34 × 104), West Asia (1.91 × 104) and Central Asia (4.60 × 103). Lung cancer emerged as the main outcome in all regions, accounting for 85% and 94% of cancer risks, and DALYs respectively. The findings highlight regional disparities, requiring intervention strategies in a few regions. The actions may include implementing regulations, treatment technologies and establishing monitoring systems to ensure water quality.

In this study, a comparison in the precipitation extremes as exhibited by the seven reference datasets is made to ascertain whether the inferences based on these datasets agree or they differ. These seven datasets, roughly grouped in three categories i.e. rain-gauge based (APHRODITE, CPC-UNI), satellite-based (TRMM, GPCP1DD) and reanalysis based (ERA-Interim, MERRA, and JRA55), having a common data period 1998–2007 are considered. Focus is to examine precipitation extremes in the summer monsoon rainfall over South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Measures of extreme precipitation include the percentile thresholds, frequency of extreme precipitation events and other quantities. Results reveal that the differences in displaying extremes among the datasets are small over South Asia and East Asia but large differences among the datasets are displayed over the Southeast Asian region including the maritime continent. Furthermore, precipitation data appear to be more consistent over East Asia among the seven datasets. Decadal trends in extreme precipitation are consistent with known results over South and East Asia. No trends in extreme precipitation events are exhibited over Southeast Asia. Outputs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulation data are categorized as high, medium and low-resolution models. The regions displaying maximum intensity of extreme precipitation appear to be dependent on model resolution. High-resolution models simulate maximum intensity of extreme precipitation over the Indian sub-continent, medium-resolution models over northeast India and South China and the low-resolution models over Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. In summary, there are differences in displaying extreme precipitation statistics among the seven datasets considered here and among the 29 CMIP5 model data outputs.

Background. Islam is the second largest religion in South Asia, with more than 600 million Muslims living there, making up about a third of the region's population. The history of Islam in South Asia began along the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, after its beginnings in the Arabian Peninsula. Purpose. This research was made to thoroughly explore the history of Islamic civilization in the modern era in South Asia and Southeast Asia. With this research, it is hoped that it can add insight to the readers in the study of the history of Islamic civilization and can answer various questions about when Islam entered South Asia and Southeast Asia, how the process and impact on the people who live there, and who plays an important role in the spread of Islam on both continents. Method. The data collected will be analyzed by identifying the themes, arguments or main ideas in the texts and analyzing how they influenced and were influenced by the development of Islamic civilization in Southeast and South Asia. Results. Southeast Asia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Islam is the majority religion in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. Islam in Southeast Asia was spread through the activities of traders and Sufis. Unlike other Islamic regions of the world, it was spread through the Arab and Turkish conquests. Conclusion. Thus the presentation of material about Islamic Civilization in Southeast Asia and South Asia and how the method of its spread. We as writers realize that the results of the papers we compile are far from perfect, for the future we will try to be even better in presenting writing or discussion.

Reviewed by: Ban Chiang, Northeast Thailand, vol. 2C: The Metal Remains in Regional Context ed. by Joyce C. White and Elizabeth G. Hamilton Siân E. Halcrow and Nigel J. Chang Ban Chiang, Northeast Thailand, vol. 2C: The Metal Remains in Regional Context. Joyce C. White and Elizabeth G. Hamilton, eds. University Museum Monograph 153. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2020. 240 pp., 15 color, 29 b&w illustrations. Cloth US $70, ISBN 9781931707930. The third volume of the Thai Archaeology Monograph (TAM) Series on the metal remains at Ban Chiang provides important interpretations of the metal evidence within a regional social context. This edited volume presents substantive contributions from multiple scholars on copper mining and smelting from Thailand and Laos, provenance research on artifacts from the sites of Ban Chiang and Dan Klang, and a thorough regional synthesis of metal technology systems in Northeast and Central Thailand. This corpus of work presented by the authors supports the theory that there was a maintenance of regional economic networks with communit-based, nonhierarchical, social organization of production in these metal age societies. The introduction (chapter 1) by Joyce White succinctly describes the outcomes of this research showcasing a regional, culturally specific view of metal production, distribution, and consumption. Chapter 2 by Vincent Piggott reviews prehistoric copper mining and smelting in Southeast Asia using evidence from Thailand and Laos. This contribution provides a comprehensive review of the evidence for early copper mining and smelting in Northeast (Phu Lon complex in the greater Loei region) and Central (Khao Wong Prachan Valley) Thailand and Sepon in Lao [End Page 462] PDR. Given the extensive nature of these sites, it is concluded that they were the likely ore sources for these basins, if not for the entirety of Southeast Asia during the late second to first millennia b.c. Using the model suggested by Tucci and colleagues (2014) for the relationship between socio-political power and mining activity, Pigott argues that mining was conducted in these areas following the community-based consumption model within heterarchical contexts, although Sepon mining may have been influenced by dynastic China from as early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, throughout the Qin and Han dynasties, and into the remainder of the first millennium a.d. In chapter 3, T. O. Pryce presents sourcing data from copper-based artifacts from Ban Chiang and Don Klang. Here, provenance information concerning production and consumption is investigated through the geochemical characterization of the metals, using elemental compositional data and lead isotopic analyses for the regions and a range of archaeological artifact types. The results show that prehistoric sites obtained their metals from a number of different networks that are inconsistent with the Phu Lon production signature, as previously thought by White and Pigott (1996). These production and consumption network findings are nevertheless consistent with the proposed general model of riverine metal supply networks in the region (White and Pigott 1996). Sepon is the only identified source of copper used to produce the artifacts at Ban Chiang during its early period, perhaps as early as 1000 b.c. The results of further metalwork sourcing research (currently underway) will help tease out answers to questions about metal consumption across the region. In chapter 4, Elizabeth Hamilton and Joyce White provide an extensive compilation and synthesis of English language publications on metal production and consumption in prehistoric northern Northeast Thailand. This chapter fully contextualizes this work within the wider regional context of southern Northeast and Central Thailand to assess regional patterns of social growth and interaction. Metal analyses of artifacts from these excavations have revealed that, although the products are different between the Upper Mun River Valley and northern Northeast Thailand, there are similarities in the casting tradition. For example, the finds of lagged spouted crucible pieces and several metalworking hearths show that such final metal products were cast locally. Although there is little published literature on the topic of metalwork in Central Thailand, the reviewed data suggest there were variable forms and metal compositions, with copper appearing to be the focus of metal production in Central Thailand compared with tin bronze in Northeast Thailand throughout the sequence; the authors argue that this...

According to the basic principles of flood risk, risk of storm hazard, stability of disaster environment and vulnerabilities of hazard-affected bodies, we used South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia as the study area and comprehensively considered major indicators, including the rainfall, topography, land use, vegetation, river network density, population and economic strength, to perform a disaster impact evaluation. The above-mentioned factors were normalized to obtain standardized multi-source raster data using the geographic information system (GIS) software package. The weights of relevant indicators were determined according to analytic hierarchy processes, and a model to perform comprehensive risk assessment of flood was constructed. We used GIS to obtain an assessment map of the flood comprehensive risk levels of typical Asian areas. With the help of the comprehensive analysis, genesis and mitigation service principles and assessment map of the flood comprehensive risk levels, both qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on the study region. Finally, the study area was divided into six sub-regions, the northwestern, southwestern, southern, and central districts, eastern plains, and southeastern coastal areas. Among these districts, the eastern plains and southeastern coastal areas had the highest risk, followed by the southern district. Meanwhile, the southwestern district had lower values, and the northwestern and central districts exhibited the lowest risk. The results from this research have significant reference values regarding macro-policy decisions on the prevention of flood disasters in the South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

SSR Analysis on Diversity of AA Genome Oryza Species in the Southeast and South Asia

Islam Translated, Literature, Conversion, and the Arabic Cosmopolis of South and Southeast Asia

<p indent="0mm">Although the significant decrease in PM_2.5 concentrations across China in response to the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan during 2013–2017, the ozone (O₃) concentrations have increased rapidly. Previous studies have revealed that long-range transboundary transport from South Asia (SA) and Southeast Asia (SEA) greatly influences the O₃ concentrations in China; however, these studies majorly focused on biomass burning events. The impact of anthropogenic emissions from neighboring countries on China’s O₃ pollution has not been comprehensively and quantitatively investigated. In addition, the analysis of the impact of future transport from SA and SEA on O₃ concentrations in China is required. Based on (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) SSPs, a new set of future emission inventories, this study estimated the MDA8 O₃ concentrations in China, SA, and SEA under different SSPs scenarios from 2015 to 2050 with varying anthropogenic and open burning emissions using a three-dimensional chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). Several sensitivity experiments were simulated to quantitatively assess the impact of anthropogenic and open burning emission changes in SA and SEA on the future atmospheric O₃ concentrations in China. Transport from SA and SEA can influence MDA8 O₃ concentrations in China widely, covering the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan Basin (SCB), Qinghai, Tibet and parts of Xinjiang. It contributed to an increase in annual mean MDA O₃ concentrations over above regions by <sc>3.0–19.0 μg m⁻³</sc> in 2015, and led to an increase in MDA8 O₃ concentration in China by <sc>4.0 μg m⁻³.</sc> Monthly variation characteristics of the impacts of SA and SEA transport on concentrations of MDA O₃ in SCB, PRD, and YRD regions were further explored in this study. In 2015, the regional transport from SA and SEA had the highest impact on the MDA8 O₃ concentrations in SCB, increased its annual mean concentration by <sc>6.2 μg m⁻³,</sc> followed by PRD <sc>(+4.7 μg m⁻³),</sc> and YRD <sc>(+0.6 μg m⁻³).</sc> Accompanied by the strong westerly and southwesterly winds on the surface and 850 hPa near 30°N in spring, the influence of transport from SA and SEA on MDA8 O₃ concentrations was highest in SCB in March 2015 <sc>(+10.1 μg m⁻³,</sc> +7.2%), followed by April <sc>(+9.4 μg m⁻³,</sc> +6.4%). Due to the prevailing southwesterly winds at 10°–30°N on the surface and 850 hPa in summer, the contribution attained its peak in July <sc>(+14.0 μg m⁻³,</sc> +10.4%), followed by August <sc>(+9.1 μg m⁻³,</sc> +6.5%) in PRD, while it peaked in July <sc>(+2.5 μg m⁻³,</sc> +1.7%), followed by June <sc>(+1.4 μg m⁻³,</sc> +0.9%) in YRD. Based on medium and long-term perspectives (2015–2030), the impact of transport from SA and SEA on MDA8 O₃ concentrations in SCB, PRD, and YRD from 2015 to 2030 were simulated. Substantive reductions under SSP1, especially under SSP1-1.9 pathway were observed (the largest decline in SCB was <sc>−3.5 μg m⁻³</sc> (−36.5%) in April, and <sc>−3.0 μg m⁻³</sc> (−21.1%) and <sc>−1.1 μg m⁻³</sc> (−43.1%) in PRD and YRD, respectively, in July). The MDA8 O₃ concentrations in SCB, PRD, and YRD during 2015–2030 were projected to increase under SSP3-7.0 scenario (the highest increase in the SCB will be <sc>+1.5 μg m⁻³</sc> (+20.1%) in May, and <sc>+1.2 μg m⁻³</sc> (+8.5%) and <sc>0.2 μg m⁻³</sc> (+7.5%) in July, respectively, in PRD and YRD). Therefore, controlling O₃ pollution due to the transport from SA and SEA in China during 2015–2030 will be easier year by year under the SSP1-1.9 scenario, while greater efforts would be required under the SSP3-7.0 pathway. The long-term (2015–2050) trend of MDA8 O₃ concentrations in the above three regions affected by the transport from SA and SEA is similar to that of the mid-to-long term.

South East Asia (SEA) is made up of 11 countries (Viet-nam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia and Timor Leste) from Myanmar in the northwest to Timor Leste in the far south east. It is one of the most far flung region in Asia, with a land mass of 4.5 million km2 and theitspopulation of 641 million makes it the third most populous geographical region in the world after South Asia and East Asia. Asia is the world’s largest most populous continent stretching from the Middle East in the west to Japan in the east with a population of 4.567 billion.

South East Asia (SEA) is made up of 11 countries (Viet-nam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia and Timor Leste) from Myanmar in the northwest to Timor Leste in the far south east. It is one of the most far flung region in Asia, with a land mass of 4.5 million km 2 and theitspopulation of 641 million makes it the third most populous geographical region in the world after South Asia and East Asia. Asia is the world’s largest most populous continent stretching from the Middle East in the west to Japan in the east with a population of 4.567 billion.

BackgroundDisease burden attributable to extreme high temperature requires more attention amid dramatic climate change, especially in South Asia and Southeast Asia.MethodsWe analyzed comprehensive estimates from the GBD 2021 Study, examining mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across 369 diseases and 88 risk factors. This study employed joinpoint regression analysis and Age-Period-Cohort modeling to examine time trends from 1990 to 2021 and projected disease burden up to 2045 by incorporating demographic forecasts and a Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort model.ResultsSouth Asia and Southeast Asia contributed more than half of the global death number attributed to high temperature. In 2021, South Asia recorded 209,537 deaths and Southeast Asia recorded 32,230 deaths attributed to high temperatures. In South Asia and Southeast Asia, Pakistan bore the highest number and rate of deaths attributed to high temperature. The population above 55 and below 5 years in South Asia and Southeast Asia experienced higher disease burden attributed to high temperature. The leading cause of ASMR attributed to high temperature in South Asia and Southeast Asia was non-communicable diseases. Population growth and aging were the main drivers of ASMR increases in South Asia and Southeast Asia, while epidemiological changes contributed to a reduction in ASMR. Deaths attributed to high temperatures in South and Southeast Asia are projected to rise until 2045, with South Asia exceeding 400,000 and Southeast Asia approaching 100,000 deaths in 2045.ConclusionsThis study highlights the urgent need for region-specific, gender-specific and age-specific interventions to reduce high temperature-related disease burden in South Asia and Southeast Asia.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41182-025-00823-4.

The multi-component site of Phromtin Tai, Thailand is notable for its long occupation from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 700 - 500 B.C.E.) through early historic periods (ca. C.E. 500 - 900). Multiple field seasons of excavation in burial and habitation areas at the site have recovered a large number of glass and stone beads. Here we present the study of 57 stone beads from the site using qualitative and quantitative methods that demonstrate the presence of multiple stone ornament workshop traditions. Examination of perforations from beads and pendants made from regionally available raw materials of marble, nephrite, serpentine, and other undetermined stone have identified the use of metal drills with abrasives and diamond drills. These drilling techniques along with the distinctive shapes of some finely made beads, as well as the reworking of older broken beads suggests the presence of different scales and organization of local production in Southeast Asia. The different shapes and production processes of carnelian and banded agate beads also may represent various workshop traditions. Some of these latter beads may have originated in South Asia, while others may have been made in different regions of Southeast Asia. This study demonstrates that careful examination of ornament production techniques, and especially bead perforation technology, can be used to identify the presence of different workshop traditions allowing for more fine-grained consideration of inter- and intra-regional bead exchange networks in Southeast Asia. The presence of many semi-precious stone beads of different materials and having morphologically and technologically distinct features at Phromtin Tai demonstrate the active consumption of the beads by social elites at the site. These diversified and exotic status markers represent an intensification and acceleration of the economy and social complexity at Phromtin Tai. KEYWORDS: stone beads, bead drilling, bead production, Central Thailand, Iron Age.

The seasonal, interannual, and long-term variations in biomass burning activity and related emissions are not well studied over South Asia. In this regard, active fire location retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the retrievals of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from MODIS Terra, and tropospheric column NO2 from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) are used to understand the effects of biomass burning on the tropospheric pollution loadings over South Asia during 2003-2013. Biomass burning emission estimates from Global Fire Emission Database (GFED) and Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) are also used to quantify uncertainties and regional discrepancies in the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and black carbon (BC) due to biomass burning in South Asia. In the Asian continent, the frequency of fire activity is highest over Southeast Asia, followed by South Asia and East Asia. The biomass burning activity in South Asia shows a distinct seasonal cycle that peaks during February-May with some differences among four (north, central, northeast, and south) regions in India. The annual biomass burning activity in north, central, and south regions shows an increasing tendency, particularly after 2008, while a decrease is seen in northeast region during 2003-2013. The increase in fire counts over the north and central regions contributes 24 % of the net enhancement in fire counts over South Asia. MODIS AOD and OMI tropospheric column NO2 retrievals are classified into high and low fire activity periods and show that biomass burning leads to significant enhancement in tropospheric pollution loading over both the cropland and forest regions. The enhancement is much higher (110-176 %) over the forest region compared to the cropland (34-62 %) region. Further efforts are required to understand the implications of biomass burning on the regional air quality and climate of South Asia.