ラオスにおける伝統的砂糖生産の諸相 : タイ文化圏の生産工具研究から

Abstract

In montane basins located from south-western China to Northern Mainland Southeast Asia, there used to be confederacy of chiefdom headed by Tay lord. They have been maintaining loose social connection been still present in this area. The notion of Tay Cultural Area shall be explaining the multi-ethnic society in mountain area of Mainland Southeast Asia, especially crossing of Yunnan Province of China, northern part of Laos, North Thailand and Shan State of Burma (Myammar) which has an organic linkage system on the linguistic and historical background proposed by SHINTANI et. al.. Although "sugar" is called nam tān in Thai, that is originally Malayan word of tal which means palmyra palm, one of the sugar materials in Southeast Asia and should be referred to the same nam 'ō֊i, "pure" sugar made from sugarcane as well as other Tay groups. According to the results of field surveys of the sugar-mill in Yunnan Province, DANIELS has concluded that types of gear-wheel in Tay Cultural Area should be classified into 1) double toothed gear invented in Southern China, 2) worm gear might be the same as gear system of cotton-gin originated in India and 3) chevron-teeth which may be original device by Tay people in Tay Cultural Area. The press for expressing the juice of sugar cane in Laos has the rolling-mill consisting of rollers with 3types of gear system which proposed by DANIELS and the leverage sugar-press without rollers, and can be observed only Vientiane-Bolikhamxay and northward. Although this distribution of sugar-press may be determined by the difference in the material plant of sugar products between sugarcane and sugar-palm which have been depended on the natural surroundings, the boundary resembles the south limit of farming complex with frame plough proposed by SONOE closely. In this study, the sugar-press is running by livestock (buffalo), water wheel and man power, especially in Laos and the all case of horizontal sugar-mill should be driven by water wheel. And also, almost of sugar-mills have rollers worked on chevron-teeth gear even if it is the vertical type and is horizontal type. In Laos, the sugar production technology with chevron-teethed rolling-mill has been borne by Tay people under the influence of Chinese and Indian Civilization and spreads through other ethnic group. These facts show the existence of Tay Cultural Area in northern Laos as similar as distribution situation of frame plough, so far.