Debating a great site: Ban Non Wat and the wider prehistory of Southeast Asia

Abstract

Almost half a century has elapsed since the first area excavation of a prehistoric site in north-east Thailand at Non Nok Tha (Bayard & Solheim 2010) (Figure 1). A long and still unresolved debate has ensued, centred on the chronology of the establishment of rice farming and bronze casting, that has dovetailed with further controversies on the pace and nature of social change. Results obtained during the past 20 years of fieldwork focused on the upper Mun Valley of north-east Thailand, together with a new series of AMS radiocarbon determinations from key sites, have thrown into sharp relief contrasting interpretations of two issues: one centres on the timing and origin of the Neolithic settlement; the other on the date and impact of copper-base metallurgy. A consensus through debate would bring us to a tipping point that would see Southeast Asian prehistory turn to more interesting issues of cultural change.

Genomic history and ecology of the geographic spread of rice

“…19), which may arise from a bottleneck associated with population movements into these new areas. Emergence of upland rice in Laos and Bhutan coincides in time and space with widespread establishment of rainfed rice agriculture in mainland Southeast Asia, ~4,000 yBP 14,42 and dispersal of metallurgy traditions from Bronze Age Yunnan, ~3,500 yBP southwards to Thailand by ~3,000 yBP 43,44 .…”

Genomic history and ecology of the geographic spread of rice

“…19), which may arise from a bottleneck associated with population movements into these new areas. Emergence of upland rice in Laos and Bhutan coincides in time and space with widespread establishment of rainfed rice agriculture in mainland Southeast Asia, ∼4,000 yBP ( 12, 37 ) and dispersal of metallurgy traditions from Bronze Age Yunnan, ∼3,500 yBP southwards to Thailand by ∼3,000 yBP ( 38, 39 ). Subsequent agricultural intensification of rice production took place from ∼2,500 to 1,500 yBP and included evolution of irrigation systems in present-day Thailand ( 40 ).…”

Anthropological Archaeology in 2015: Entanglements, Reflection, Reevaluation, and Archaeology beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

“…Bayesian models are increasingly being used as a way to question and reassess our ideas about migration, broad‐scale culture change, and context‐specific developments (Burley et al. ; Higham , ; Higham et al. ; Oxenham ).…”