corundum, Burma.12, Cambodia.12, gems

Guillon studies several Mon inscriptions from Burma and Thailand, providing transcriptions, translations, linguistic analysis, and discussion of their historical setting. Of particular gemological interest is his treatment of two votive terracotta plaques discovered in 1971 at Mogok, an area he notes had long been known for its ruby mines; he discusses evidence for an ancient Mon presence there and the historical connections between Upper Burma, Pagan, and Mon regions. Other sections examine a Pagan inscription, fragments of a thirteenth-century sculptured plaque from Bassein, and an engraved bell near Tavoy, using the inscriptions to investigate Mon language, political geography, religious patronage, and cultural relations across Burma and neighboring regions. The Mogok material is especially significant in providing archaeological and epigraphic evidence from within the historic ruby-mining district.