Preservation of Mammalian Teeth and Bones Influences Identification of Terminal Pleistocene to Middle Holocene Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence at Ban Rai Rockshelter, Northwest Thailand

Wattanapituksakul, Athiwat; Shoocongdej, Rasmi; Conrad, Cyler

doi:10.3390/quat5040051

Preservation of Mammalian Teeth and Bones Influences Identification of Terminal Pleistocene to Middle Holocene Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence at Ban Rai Rockshelter, Northwest Thailand

Journal Article · Tue Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Quaternary

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/quat5040051· OSTI ID:1923632

^[1]; Shoocongdej, Rasmi ^[2]; ^[3]

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Bangkok (Thailand)
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Bangkok (Thailand); Silpakorn University, Bangkok (Thailand)
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Ban Rai Rockshelter in northwest Thailand, dating to the Terminal Pleistocene and Middle Holocene, includes evidence for hunter-gatherer exploitation of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and arthropods. Abundant faunal remains, identified throughout site deposits, include macaques (Macaca sp.) and Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), but these identifications are influenced by an assemblage largely comprised of preserved tooth elements and fragmented bone. Area 3 at Ban Rai has the largest abundance and diversity of faunal remains recovered and identified in this study. Here, we examine the zooarchaeological assemblage from Ban Rai Rockshelter, to understand long-term hunter-gatherer subsistence change, influenced by site preservation, during and after the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Our results support the presence of the exploitation of arboreal taxa during the Early and Middle Holocene in northwest Thailand.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 1923632

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-21-29126

Journal Information:: Quaternary, Journal Name: Quaternary Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 5; ISSN 2571-550X

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Thailand
holocene
hunter-gatherer
mainland southeast Asia
pleistocene
primate
subsistence
zooarchaeology

Preservation of Mammalian Teeth and Bones Influences Identification of Terminal Pleistocene to Middle Holocene Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence at Ban Rai Rockshelter, Northwest Thailand

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