Iron Age Trade and Mobility: Assessing Migration at the Site of Ban Pong Manao, Central Thailand

Summary

The archaeological site of Ban Pong Manao is located in the highlands of central Thailand with mortuary contexts dating to the late Iron Age (300-400 CE). Most individuals were buried with numerous grave goods, including intentionally broken ceramics and ritually bent metal implements, and some graves included imported metal, glass, stone, and shell artifacts. The presence of non-local artifacts implies interregional interaction and may indicate some degree of social inequality, but the scale, nature, and expression of these relationships remains unclear. This study uses radiogenic strontium isotope analysis to assess the migration histories of Iron Age inhabitants of Ban Pong Manao. First molar enamel samples from 32 adults were analyzed to distinguish between local and non-local individuals within the burial population. The results contribute to ongoing debates regarding the social significance of imported artifact inclusions in ancient Thai mortuary contexts—whether they signal high social status (prestige goods), the nonlocal origin of the deceased (reflection of social identity), or evidence communal aspects of memory and mourning. Results from this study further contextualize the changing social, material, and lived experiences of Iron Age inhabitants at Ban Pong Manao through a clearer understanding of migration, social identity, inclusion, and belonging.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20662