The Bronze Age necropolis of Koh Ta Meas: insights into the health of the earliest inhabitants of the Angkor region

Abstract

The Koh Ta Meas site, near Angkor, Cambodia, has revealed a partially excavated Bronze Age necropolis (2870 BP +/-60) comprising 27 burials. The aim of this study is to shed light on the earliest inhabitants known to date in the Angkor region and to gain further knowledge on Early Bronze Age populations in Southeast Asia. The burials of some individuals, probably wrapped in matting, the type of funeral artefacts or the presence of pig skulls suggest sophisticated mortuary rituals and evoke other Southeast Asian sites. Analyses of the skeletal remains show that the sample individuals are characterized by a short stature and gracile bones. As expected given the poor bone preservation, we found very little significant evidence of pathology, including infections and trauma. The dental health pattern at Koh Ta Meas is generally good and consistent with the consumption of rice, and may suggest a gendered division of activities. Comparisons between this small group and Iron Age series from the region indicate a possible decline in dental health with the intensification of rice agriculture. An interesting pattern of intentional tooth ablation identified at Koh Ta Meas confirms the cultural continuity in the Pre-Angkorian region, as suggested by the archaeological evidence. As in other Southeast Asian skeletal samples, the health profile of the earliest inhabitants of Angkor is generally good and consistent with the adoption of rice agriculture during the Bronze Age.Keywords Bioarchaeology · Cambodia · Protohistory · Burial archaeology · Palaeopathology Résumé La fouille du site de Koh Ta Meas (Angkor, Cambodge) a révélé une nécropole partielle de l'âge du Bronze (2870 BP +/-60) comprenant 27 sépultures. Le but de cette étude est de dévoiler les plus anciens habitants connus à ce jour dans la région d'Angkor et d'accroître la connaissance des populations du Bronze ancien en Asie du Sud-Est. Les sépultures de certains individus, probablement enveloppés dans une natte, le type d'objets funéraires ou la présence de crânes de porc, suggèrent des rituels funéraires sophistiqués, évoquant d'autres sites en Asie du Sud-Est. L'analyse des ossements montre que l'échantillon se caractérise par une petite taille et des os graciles. Les os étant mal conservés, très peu de pathologies importantes -infections, trauma -ont été recensées. Le profil de santé dentaire, en général bon à Koh Ta Meas, est en accord avec la consommation de riz, et suggère une répartition sexuelle des activités. La comparaison de ce petit groupe avec des séries de l'Age du Fer de la région indique une dégradation possible de la santé dentaire avec l'intensification de la riziculture. L'identification d'ablations dentaires à Koh Ta Meas confirme la continuité culturelle suggérée par les artéfacts archéologiques du territoire préangkorien. Comme les autres populations d'Asie du Sud-Est, les premiers habitants d'Angkor ont bénéficié d'un état de santé relativement bon, cohérent avec l'adoption de la riziculture pendant la période du bronze.

Revisiting Prei Khmeng: The Excavation of an Iron Age Settlement and Cemetery in Cambodia

“…The ante-mortem removal of teeth has been noted elsewhere in Cambodia, with 60.2 percent of individuals excavated at Iron Age Snay and 47.8 percent of the sample from Sophy demonstrating anterior maxillary dental ablation (usually the lateral incisors) and other cases include the mandible (Domett et al 2013). Ablation was also evident in three individuals buried at Bronze Age Koh Ta Meas, 3 km from Prei Khmeng, where both canines and lateral incisors were removed from the maxilla (Frelat and Souday 2015;Frelat et al 2016;Pottier, Llopis et al 2006). This common occurrence in Iron Age Cambodia is noteworthy as it is rare in neighbouring Northeast Thailand contexts.…”

“…The placement of pig (Sus scrofa) remains in burials as found in Prei Khmeng has also been documented in sites throughout the region (Pottier, Baty et al 2003;Pottier, Bolle et al 2006;Pottier, Guerin et al 2001b). These include the Bronze Age site of Koh Ta Meas (Frelat and Souday 2015), Iron Age Angkor Borei in Takeo Province (Ikehara-Quebral et al 2017;Stark 2001), and Prohear in southern Cambodia (Reinecke et al 2009). The practice is also known in Northeast Thailand from the Neolithic period at Ban Non Wat (Higham and Thosarat 2006) and Iron Age sites such as Noen U-Loke (Higham 2011) and Non Ban Jak (Higham et al 2014).…”

Biocultural Practices during the Transition to History at the Vat Komnou Cemetery, Angkor Borei, Cambodia

“…Congenital absence of anterior teeth, rather than their intentional removal or pathological loss, can be ruled out if there are interproximal wear facets on the adjacent teeth and adequate residual space for the missing teeth (Nelsen et al 2001:964), but in practice this may be difficult to discern due to postmortem loss of adjacent teeth and damage to the alveolar bone. While deliberate tooth removal is absent (0/17 males, 0/13 females) in the Vat Komnou, southern Cambodia dental sample, it was documented at seven Iron Age sites in northwest Cambodia, suggesting cultural affinities or migration between these neighboring sites (Chhem et al 2004;Domett 2005;Domett et al 2013;Frelat and Souday 2015;Frelat et al 2016) (Table 10). Ablation was also found at Iron Age site Gò Ô Chùa in southern Vietnam (Francken et al 2010:19-20).…”

“…The range of variation in Iron Age samples includes most commonly a bilateral removal of maxillary lateral incisors at Phum Snay and Phum Sophy (Domett et al 2013), probable ablation of all mandibular incisors in two cases at Krasang Thmei (Domett 2005), and a bilateral removal of maxillary lateral incisors and canines in two individuals at Koh Ta Méas (Frelat and Souday 2015). In Early Neolithic samples, a bilateral removal of one to two mandibular incisors occurred at Con Co Ngua, Vietnam (Oxenham 2000:197), and the ablation of maxillary lateral incisors, usually bilaterally, occurred at Khok Phanom Di, Thailand (Domett et al 2013;Tayles 1996:336-337).…”

“…However, a statistically significant (FET, p = 0.0019) difference in tooth ablation rates is found in the Early Neolithic sample (31.7 percent) compared to the Late Neolithic sample (22/36 individuals or 61.1 percent), and a significant difference exists between the Late Neolithic (61.1 percent) and the Protohistoric/Iron Age (38.9 percent) samples (FET, p = 0.0174). Although some of the reported data Frelat and Souday (2015). Includes only individuals with anterior maxilla preserved.…”