Naga Cave

Terrain

General Condition

The archaeological site is a large cave in the west cliff of Khao Song Phi Nong or Koh Song Phi Nong. which is a limestone mountain in the Phuket mountain range It lies along the north-south line, approximately 1.5 kilometers long, the southern tip of the island is 450 meters wide, and the north is narrow, small, only 150 meters wide. The island has no plains at the foot of the cliff. But it is a steep cliff along both sides. The surrounding area is the sea and mangrove forest. On the east side, next to Khlong Khao Nam Tok

Tham Nak, where the colored paintings appear, is located at the tip of the mountain to the north. In front of the cave is a small canal that separates from Khlong Lat Krasom. The cave has 2 very large booths, similar in size, about 100 meters in width and more than 50 meters in height. causing light to shine through almost the entire area There are also many small nooks and crannies on the ground, if there are many shells that are currently being excavated (Phayao Khem Nak 1996).

Waterway

Andaman Sea, Phang Nga Bay, Khlong Khao Nam Tok, Khlong Lat Krasom

Geological conditions

Characteristics according to the structure and geography of Phang Nga Bay are mountains that originated in the Cretaceous and early Terseary periods, aged 36-136 million years ago. This is the result of a structural feature known as faults. "Klong Marui Fault" and "Phang Nga Fault" There are also sedimentary and metamorphic rocks interspersed along the line. especially the limestone mountains As a result of such changes in the natural environment, there are many cavities, cavities, or caves. Some of the shale mountains decomposed into small hilly patches. The western collapsing of the land created a jagged coastline. Formed into bays and islands, many limestone mountains scattered along the shore.

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Tham Nak is a large cave with several booths. Color paintings are found on the east wall of Booth 3, which is a small booth. North of the main booth There is a separate way up. The floor of this booth is several meters higher than the floor of the large booth (Suwit Chaimongkol 1989:43). Inside there were also piles of animal bones. Cattle/Buffalo type Coarse earthenware fragments 1 pointed bone apparatus (Juleekmon Onsuwan 1994 :76), including a pile of human bones or many traces of burial. It is assumed that the body was left behind by the water people or the sea people in the latter (Suwit Chaimongkol 1989 :46)

Color paintings in Nak Cave are divided into 5 groups with details as follows (Phayao Khemnak 1996 :91-92)

Group that 1 The image position is at the northern end of the wall, about 180-200 meters above the cave floor, is a picture painted in red. Thick brushes look like vertical parallel lines. It cannot be assumed that it is a picture because the condition is very faded. And some parts of the image have been scraped off the color as well.

Group that 2 The position of the picture is next to the 1st group, about 100 meters to the south, at an altitude of about 200 meters above the cave floor. It is a picture written in red and black. And there are many scratches on the image. The characteristic that can be seen is The shape resembles a small square grid. and a tent or tall wicker containers There is a wingless plant on top.

Group that 3 It is a group of paintings that have a clearer appearance than other groups. The position of the picture is on the south wall of the 2nd group, about 3.5 meters high above the cave floor is a convoy of 2 rows of boats written horizontally, with fish inserted between the boats in the bottom row. The paintings in this third group are all painted in red. Contains approximately 10 images (not counting from the viewer's left hand side).

Picture 1 Boat image, written with simple outlines The appearance of the boat is bent at both ends. No details are shown in the hull. The line from the bottom of the boat to the left end would have faded.

Picture 2 boat header image It's a little further up to the right of the first image. There are 2 polygons, which may be the front of the first image.

Picture 3 The image of a fish. The head is painted with outlines and then paints a solid color on the tail, head and fins. For the head with a solid color, there are still some gaps that look like eyeballs. They are in the same row as the first picture, about 25 centimeters apart.

Picture 4 Picture of a fish, tilting its head up to the left, showing the side. Shaped like a pony fish or snapper, showing a dull, opaque caudal fin. Inside the body of the back made a point Line up from head to tail. The head has merging lines, similar to the mouth and cheeks of a fish.

Picture 5 The picture of the boat is in the same row as the first picture. The boat looks similar, with the fish on the bow. The details of the ship are written in thick lines on the bow of the viewer's left hand side. And the stern of the boat painted a solid color and spaced to form a horizontal line which is the color of the stone surface. At the stern of the boat there are 2 rudder-like overhangs. At the bottom of the boat, the image is still blurry, so the lines are not contiguous.

Picture 6 picture of fish or boat It's probably more of a fish than a trapezoid on the side. Written with a small head and neck. and gradually expanding towards the tail When it reaches the area of ​​the ventral fin near the tail, it will tapered down to intersect, causing the tail to be forked. The tail of the fish has more solid lines than the others. Inside the fish are written in lines arranged in rows. Found this writing on the bottle dolphin (bottle dolphin) on the island he wrote as well. The fin area on the back is unequal.

From pictures 1-6, the owner of the painting deliberately placed these images in a row. Heading in the same direction with fish swimming along the boat. As for the top row of images from Figures 7-10, it's also in the way that the images are placed in rows.

Picture 7 and 8 only the footer left and only the head of the ship It is a picture painted in a solid color. The two images are next to each other, with Picture 9 depicting a person or the head or stern of a ship. The following is picture 10, with only the head of the ship as well.

Group that 4 The image is positioned on the wall above the 3rd group at an altitude of approximately 4.5 meters above the cave floor. It looks like a larger boat than the 3rd group, which is about 1 meter long and has a fish-like figure next to it. But the condition is very fuzzy because the picture is in a position where the rainwater melts down the limestone and coats the picture until it is almost invisible. and unable to climb to copy the image As for the style of ships in group 4, it is the same as that of ships in group 3.

Group that 5 This group of paintings is outside the 3rd booth, which is on a small hidden wall. Next to the north looks like a small grid. The format is not clear.

Characteristics of the traditional color paintings in the 3rd booth of the Naga cave There are methods and techniques for writing with wet mixed color rather diluted. The paint on the wall is not thick. and use a paintbrush or thick brush Most are outlined with partially opaque paint or outline and silhouette painting, especially a boat in which the outer outlines show the contours of the sides of the boat. Then paint a solid color to add to the head and stern of both sides of the boat. Sometimes the whole boat may be painted in solid color, but the picture is not very clear. The shape of this boat is similar to the boat found in Pha Khao Khian shelter, Phang Nga Bay and Tham Phi Hua To, Krabi Province.

As for the fish in group 3, it is written in 2 ways, which is written as an external outline. Then paint a solid color on the decorative tail, head, eyes, and make scales as weighted spots, thick-thin spots proportionately. It is the most mimicking nature. The other is a fish-like figure. And there is a similar part to the picture on the rock wall of Pha Khao Khian, Phang Nga Bay, which is the outline of the exterior. and then decorate the interior with periodic lines And it is a technique that is very common at Tham Phi Hua To. Krabi Bay