Laos
摘要
Neolithic settlements were established in upland areas of present-day Laos by around 2000 BC. Migrants from southern China introduced rice cultivation and trade in iron ore and manufactured goods. Thousands of large stone vessels containing ceramics and burial goods on the Xieng Khoung plateau in central Laos are testament to the society’s wealth and sophistication. From around 300 BC the Hindu-influenced Funan Kingdom held sway across parts of southern and central Laos, as well as much of present-day Cambodia. Trading links with India, China and the Middle East developed and strengthened under the Funan.