The Distinguishing Characteristics of Pyu
The cultural characteristics of the Pyu revealed comparatively through excavations are as follow;
- The Pyu had built their city walls, bastion and the religious structure using large sized bricks in order to stabilize them.
- The Pyu bricks measure a cubit long, i.e, (18x9x3) inches.
- The bricks contain finger marks in different variety as well as the paddy husks.
- The city gateway has wider mouth or entrance points which narrow down inside in flanking bends.
- The Pyu were well-versed with pottery making, decorating their pots with human figurines and bird figurines, as their designs.
- They are cremated their dead bodies, put the remaining bones and ashes in the funerary urns and buried them.
- They used a kind of coinage generally known as the Pyu coins containing Bhaddapitta on the obverse and Srivatsa and the rising sun on the reverse.
- They adorned themselves with beads of various materials.
The World Heritage Sites
Upper Myanmar has a wealth of exciting places to visit and in July 2014 three Pyu Dynasty cities were awarded World Heritage status, all there are near the Ayeyarwady River. Hanlin is north of Mandalay, Beikthano to the west of Naypyitaw and Sriksetra near Pyay. As always with early history the dates are a little shaky but it is now thought that the Pyu Dynasty lasted from 2nd century BCE until the mid-11th century CE. They were a prosperous dynasty with their cities built on the Ayeyarwady’s rich alluvial plains, the surrounding fields irrigated with water from the river. They traded in rice, salt, precious stones and gold which was panned from the river. For present day visitors, the sites present a picture of life as it would have been.
Price per person in USD:
1 Pax: 825
2 Pax: 450
3-4 Pax: 385
5-7 Pax: 345
For inquiry or booking, email to greenseasontravel@gmail.com