Ban chaing is located 50 km east of Udon Thani along route 22 to Sakon Nakhon. It is one of the most important archaeological sites to be uncovered in southeast Asia. The site was discovered in 1966 by Stephen Young, a Harvard sociology graduate. But a major excavation of the site only commenced in the years 1974-75, by the govenment fine art department in conjunction with the university of Pennsylvania. This led to the startling discovry of early bronze metallurgy and clay pottery, especially pots and vases with distinctive burnt-orche swirl designs. Ban Chiang was in December 1992 declared a world heritage site by UNESCO