A city built on cities
On the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, about 204 kilometers north of Mandalay, lies the ancient city of Tagaung. Burmese chronicles describe it as the cradle of their civilization, founded as early as 850 BCE. Archaeological work, however, tells a more complex story grounded in the soil. Excavations have uncovered a deep stratigraphic record of human settlement, with evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age occupation dating back to approximately 1000-1300 BCE.
The most prominent feature of Tagaung is its triple-walled fortification system. These concentric enclosures—built of earth and brick—span a vast area, with the largest outer wall enclosing 204 hectares. The northernmost enclosure covers 19 hectares, with a second, "Anya" enclosure, covering 62 hectares. Excavations across these areas reveal a city that grew and was rebuilt over many centuries. The earliest urban structures, associated with the Pyu city-states, emerge in the archaeological record in the early centuries CE. Much of the western wall system has been lost to the shifting course of the Ayeyarwady River over time.