BEIKTHANO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

At present, they are only ruins scattered over 8 km2 ... Much less trampled than Bagan, the archaeological site of Beikthano dates back to a definite period between the 1st and ^5th centuries AD. At the origin of its construction: The Pyu people. There is still very little information about the Pyu civilization today.

According to the legend, Beikthano was created, two thousand four hundred years ago, by Princess Panhtwar, descendant of an equally folk dynasty, the Tagaung dynasty of Upper Burma. The fall of Beikthano is attributed to King Duttabaung of Sri Ksetra, who stormed the walled city and savagely destroyed it. Having taken the princess prisoner, he ended up marrying her.

The historical facts have a very different ring to the bell: the construction of the town is said to date back to the 1st century AD, while its fall is attributed to an unfortunate fire. Myth or reality, perhaps the part of mystery that envelops the remains contributes to the charm of the place. Only the existence of a Pyu town called Beikthano is attested by the ruins of the site. Beyond that, it is the most complete vagueness.

The visit is likely to appeal more to devotees of old stones than to travellers eager to discover grandiose sites.

Numerous objects discovered on the site provide little additional information about the Pyu civilization of the time: pearl and clay necklaces, pottery, jars, precious stones, funerary urns, pieces bearing symbols of prosperity and luck. These are all clues to be deciphered, which now find their place in the museums of nearby Taungdwingyi and Yangon. The ornaments suggest that the Pyu population of Beikthano included many artisans: weavers, potters and metalworkers.

No Buddha statues or sacred relics seem to indicate that the religion of the time was a sect, close to Buddhism, which was later adopted, but which did not worship Buddha's images or statuary.

The Beikthano site consists of three main buildings: the remains of the palace with multiple small cells, the foundations of what might have been a stūpa and a funerary monument, as evidenced by the presence of skeletons and mortuary urns. The whole is surrounded by a vast rampart, which was originally intended to be more than 12km long.