| Abstract: |
The Vientiane Archaeological Survey was formed in 1989 to study the historical ceramics of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic. It is a collaborative venture between the Department of the Museum of the Lao PDR, the Ministry of Information and Culture, and researchers from the University of Sydney. The work is funded by the Australian Research council and assisted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs through the Australian Embassy in Vientiane. Recent archaeological work has proven that Laos has a rich and long ceramic history, contrary to previous views. Recently, more and more kiln sites throughout the country have been reported. For example, the number of known kiln sites has doubled in the past ten years and is expected to double again in the next decade. Although some of them are unconfirmed, the large number of sites compels a reassessment of the contribution of Laotian ceramics to the development of stoneware in the region. An excavation at Sisattanak in south Vientiane is the first of a series of research projects planned for the country. Finds have already shown that the kilns at Sisattanak are different from others in South-East Asia.
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