Material Culture

Khok Phanom Di now ranks as one of the most important prehistoric sites in south east Asia. Excavations in the 1980s showed that it was occupied for about 500 years from 2000 BC by a society that lived off the rich natural food resources of the river estuary. This volume reports on objects, other than pottery. There are objects associated with fishing: fish-hooks, harpoons and weights; and bone objects for weaving. There are also adze heads, grinding stones, chisels and hoes in stone, and much jewellery of shell, ivory, turtle carapace, fish bone and stone. The extensive use of shell can be seen in the spoke shaves, burnishers and wind chimes. Experiments show that shell knives were probably used to harvest grasses. The volume provides evidence of the skills, daily activites and trading networks of the people of Khok Phanom Di.