Identifying plant species and their usage for landscape on the historical mural paintings of Nan, Thailand

Abstract

Nowadays, marketing influences landscape design plant selection in Thailand, with less concern for ecology, culture, or local identity. Archaic murals showing historical contexts offer extraordinary evidence related to the effort to understand the history of plants in the geographic area. It is highly informative to study whether plants on murals correlate with plants that were part of daily life at the time that the murals were created. The study of Thailand's famous murals at Phumin and Nongbua temples is the first complete identification of plant species in Tid Buaphan's murals in Nan province. It aims to (1) document the plants on the murals in a database, (2) categorize and analyze them in order to identify their species, and (3) validate the plant species and study how they were used for landscape design in various contexts.  The murals at both temples were examined, photographed, and coded for documentation in a database. The collected pictures were classified by physical characteristics and identified by investigating the Tai Lue scripts and Lord Buddha allegories, which are represented as stories on the murals. Moreover, some realistic paintings were analyzed and compared with botany literature and discussed in interviews with a botanist.  There are 259 paintings in 76 groups at Phumin temple, and 560 paintings in 138 groups at Nongbua temple. The results show 35 hypothetical species, including eight exotic species. Plants are represented in various contexts, including residences, towns, and agricultural and natural areas. The identified species were potentially used for consumption, daily use, ornamentation, or a representions of religious or cultural beliefs. This research suggests plant species that reveal their historical value and can be used for current landscape design that seeks to express the historical and cultural values of Nan province.