Journal
JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Volume 22, Issue 3, Pages 292-304Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/S0278-4165(03)00041-2
Keywords
Southeast Asia; Borneo; Neolithic; Austronesian prehistory; bioarchaeology; paleodiet; bone chemistry; canopy effect; carbon isotopes; oxygen isotopes
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The Neolithic period in island Southeast Asia is characterized by various population movements, technological innovations, and the introduction/adoption of agricultural foodstuffs. Human subsistence trends during this period, however, are poorly understood. Broad spectrum foraging is generally assumed for prehistoric groups utilizing rain forest food resources but the degree to which cultigens were part of the dietary repertoire remains unclear. This paper explores human subsistence patterns at three penecontemporaneous Neolithic sites in Sarawak (East Malaysia) using stable isotope ratios of carbon and oxygen derived from tooth enamel apatite. The sites (Niah Cave, Lubang Angin, and Gua Sireh) differ in local ecology and cultural circumstance but all are situated in C(3)-dominant lowland primary rain forest. Significant differences in delta(13)C values between sites likely reflect the canopy effect and variations in foraging pattern. Lower values at Lubang Angin suggest dependence upon closed forest foraging. Higher values at Neolithic Niah Cave and Gua Sireh suggest more open forest horticulture and subsistence, including some form of systematic food production, collection, and/or habitat modification. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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