The Route from Ban Kut Phueng to Ban Phlap and the Interrelations among Communities in the Phu Phan Mountain Range

Abstract

This article aims to study the historical route from the mountain pass at Ban Kut Phueng, Kut Phueng Subdistrict, Suwannakhuha District, Nong Bua Lam Phu Province, to Ban Phlap, Ban Phue Subdistrict, Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province. This route was significant for the transportation of goods and natural resources during the 22nd to 24th Buddhist centuries (approximately the 17th to 19th centuries CE). The study employs geographical surveys, archaeological analysis, and historical methodology.
Findings reveal that the area along the route from Ban Kut Phueng to Ban Phlap was home to ancient communities and served as a corridor for travel and communication. Archaeological evidence found along this route exhibits vernacular artistic styles influenced by Lan Xang culture, which developed from the 22nd Buddhist century onward. Ban Phlap functioned as a commercial hub where goods were collected before being transported by ox cart to Tha Bo and Wiang Khuk towns. The mountain pass at Ban Kut Phueng served as a transit route linking Suwannakhuha with towns in the Mueang Phan area. Intercommunity relations during the 22nd to 24th Buddhist centuries were evident in shared worship of the Buddha’s footprint at Phu Pha Daeng Mountain, communal traditional activities, and a shared belief in ethnic unity. These communities were later impacted by internal political instability within the Lan Xang Kingdom and the conflict between Vientiane and Rattanakosin, leading to the abandonment of settlements along the route. Following the restoration of peace, people began to return and revive the communities along the route from the early 25th Buddhist century (approximately the 20th century CE) onward.