Three thousand years of farming strategies in central Thailand

Abstract

Abstract

Understanding the transport networks complex between South Asia, Southeast Asia and China during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age

“…The earliest data of millet remains in Yunnan Province are ~4600 BP from the Baiyangcun site in northwestern Yunnan (Dal Martello et al, 2018). This archaeobotanical and isotopic evidence indicates that millet crops were utilized on the southern boundary of China during the early fifth millennium BP, a little earlier than that in Thailand at ~4500 BP (D’Alpoim Guedes et al, 2020; Higham et al, 2020; Figure 3a and Supplemental Table S1). These data suggest the formation of north-south passageways, which connected North China and mainland Southeast Asia during the fifth millennium BP, although we cannot identify the exact routes.…”

“…The distribution of sites along the eastern route of the “Annan Tong Tianzhu Road” and the routes between Xingyuan and Bangkok during 4000 and 3000 BP (Figure 3b) is more concentrated than those during 6000–4000 BP (Figure 3a), including the new dates from Xingyi found in this study (Figure 1, Supplemental Table S1). Millet and rice remains were identified from numerous sites dated to 4000 to 3000 BP in mainland Southeast Asia (D’Alpoim Guedes et al, 2020; Hedges et al, 1991; White and Hamilton, 2009; Figure 3b), suggesting that long-distance exchange via trans-YGP routes may have been frequented during this period. The cultural exchange between China and mainland Southeast Asia during the fourth millennium BP can also be supported by the additional jade artifacts (Hung et al, 2007), although this exchange might have been via maritime routes (Hung et al, 2007; Stevens et al, 2016).…”

A prehistoric copper-production centre in central Thailand: its dating and wider implications

“…Flotation of soil samples was undertaken during later excavation seasons at the three sites described above, and millet and rice grains and Spilanthes seeds were identified (Weber et al 2010;d'Alpoim Guedes et al 2020). Using radiocarbon determinations based on charcoal, Pigott and colleagues (1997: 127) initially dated the beginning of copper smelting at Non Pa Wai to c. 1500 BC, characterised by "a great burst of intensive copper production" that continued into the early first millennium BC, and which began to tail off after c. 700 BC.…”

“…2010; d'Alpoim Guedes et al . 2020). Using radiocarbon determinations based on charcoal, Pigott and colleagues (1997: 127) initially dated the beginning of copper smelting at Non Pa Wai to c. 1500 BC, characterised by “a great burst of intensive copper production” that continued into the early first millennium BC, and which began to tail off after c .…”

Living in the dry zone: Stable isotope insights into palaeodiet in ancient Myanmar

“…The presence of mixed rice and millet, both broomcorn and foxtail, agriculture occurred in Yunnan from ca. 2600BC onwards (d'Alpoim Guedes et al, 2013, d'Alpoim Guedes et al, 2020, Dal Martello et al, 2018 with the dispersal of predominantly rice, with some foxtail millet, economies occurring in Southeast Asia potentially as early as ca. 2500-2000BC (Weber et al, 2010) and becoming more common after ca.…”