Ban Kao is a prehistoric settlement in Kanchanaburi Province discovered in the 1940's by Dutch archaeologist van Heekeren, who happened to be one of the prisoners of war sent to work on the Burma-Siam Railroad.
Ban Kao was discovered to be a burial ground from the Neolithic period. Fragments of tools and ornaments were discovered here. These were eventually collected and are now showcased at the Ban Kao Museum nearby.