Portuguese Village, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya

Portuguese Village, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya Portuguese Village located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River at the southern area outside the island city of Ayutthaya. Portuguese was the first western nation came to contact and developed the friendly relation with Ayutthaya. In 1511 A.D. during the war between Ayutthaya and Burmese at Chiang Kran, King Chai Racha employed the Portuguese militias who have the experience of firearm, fighting for Ayutthaya. In 1540 A.D.,King Chai Racha had graciously presented the land at the southern part of Ayutthaya to the Portuguese as the official residence and the permit to have freely practice the church at the northern area of the Portuguese village. Later, in 1584 A.D. after the declaration of independence from Burma by King Naresuan the Great, a group of Roman Catholic priest of the Franciscan Sect had come to build the church at the northern area of the Portuguese village. In 1609 A.D. the Roman Catholic priest of Jesuit Sect entered to this village and built three church are Saint Pedro Church or Dominican Church, Saint Paul Church and Franciscan Church. The Portuguese village is the largest western community in Ayutthaya with the population at least 3,000 people. Most of them were militia, the shipbuilders and the merchants. The Dominican Church in Ayutthaya’s Portuguese Settlement. In 1984 A.D., the Dominican Church in Ayutthaya’s Portuguese settlement (Saint Pedro Village) has been excavated and renovated by the Fine Arts department in collaborated with the Caloustes Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal. This site is located at Tambon Sampaolom, Amphoe Pranakorn Si Ayutthaya, Pranakorn Si Ayutthaya Province. Church and cemetery were found with approximately 200 skeletons lie superimpose beneath the ground. The mortuary pattern signified boundary of the cemetery and status of the Portuguese as follows: Location 1: The innermost part of the Church. This part was assumed to be reserved for the high priest or priest. Mostly the skeletons were headed to the west or faced to the altar of religious statuary of the Church. Location 2: The eastern of the location 1, next to the cemetery of the priest. The area was lined up with bricks which are thicker and bigger than the other bricks that were used in the cemetery, remarking its precise boundary. Supposedly, the death Portuguese found in this part are in higher status than others. Location 3: The outer area of the Church’s perimeter. Presumably from exceeding superimposed of the skeletons in this part revealing that the skeletons were commoners whom sudden causes of death would be by an epidemic disease or a war. Skeletons in the Portuguese Dominican Church. Studying the mortuary pattern provided that, the skeleton’s hands were set in several positions, for instance, clasped over the abdomen, arms folded over the chest, left-hand bended, or placed both hands pressed close to the body. Outlining the skeleton’s heads orientation gave 19 skeletons headed to the west, 47 skeletons headed to the east and 134 skeletons are unable to identify their heads orientation. As the skeletons are unable to be removed from the burials to analyze in the laboratory, ethnic, gender, aged of the death and causes of death cannot be clarified. Although, remarkably skeletons are considered here as follows: