Traditions of Jars as Mortuary Containers in the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago

Isotopic insights into the jar-and-coffin mortuary ritual of the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

“…The earliest recorded use of exposed or interred ceramic burial jars in Mainland or Island Southeast Asia comes from Taiwan. Beginning c. 2000 BC (Bellwood 2017: 238), the practice continued as late as the nineteenth century AD in some areas, such as Sulawesi (Bulbeck 2017). The wooden coffin tradition is similarly widespread and long-lived, with the earliest known exposed Louise Shewan et al coffins coming from Neolithic contexts at Niah Cave (Sarawak) in Island Southeast Asia (Lloyd-Smith 2013), and a single Neolithic-period (buried) coffin recorded at Ban Non Wat (Thailand) in Mainland Southeast Asia (Harris et al 2016: 294).…”

“…The wooden coffin tradition is similarly widespread and long-lived, with the earliest known exposed Louise Shewan et al coffins coming from Neolithic contexts at Niah Cave (Sarawak) in Island Southeast Asia (Lloyd-Smith 2013), and a single Neolithic-period (buried) coffin recorded at Ban Non Wat (Thailand) in Mainland Southeast Asia (Harris et al 2016: 294). Other examples dating from mid first millennium BC to the early twentieth century AD are reported from sites in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR and Myanmar (Horr 1959;Harrisson 1962;Sørensen 1973;Mouret 2004;Hotchkis et al 1994;Bulbeck 2017).…”

“…Several locations in the region also provide evidence for a mixed mortuary ritual featuring the use both of exposed and buried jars (some sites with both ceramic and stone vessels), and sites with evidence for the use of ceramic jars (interred and/or exposed) and exposed or buried log coffins. The 'mixed rite' sites with both jars and coffins include Niah Cave, Cagrary Island (Luzon Island), Lake Towuti (Sulawasi), Marinduque Island (Philippines), Ban Non Wat and the Cardamom Mountains sites (Cambodia) (Tenazas 1973;Beavan et al 2012Beavan et al , 2015Harris et al 2016;Bulbeck 2017).…”

“…These burials may contain primary (immediately following death) or secondary (reburial of remains following initial burial or other forms of decomposition) interments of adults and children. In some cases, jar burials hold cremated remains (see Bulbeck 2017 and references therein).

Figure 2.Distribution of mortuary jars and coffins throughout Southeast Asia (map by the authors).

…”

“…Other examples dating from mid first millennium BC to the early twentieth century AD are reported from sites in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR and Myanmar (Horr 1959; Harrisson 1962; Sørensen 1973; Mouret 2004; Hotchkis et al . 1994; Bulbeck 2017).…”