Working Paper Series #15, America College of Greece, 2023
International advisory science demonstrates with increasing certainty that the current climate an... more International advisory science demonstrates with increasing certainty that the current climate and biodiversity crises facing the planet are the consequence of human activity. Governmental and societal awareness of this is now widespread. Advocacy of individual and local action for the collective good at all stages of life has become mainstream and a maxim for people and institutions to align routines, activities and policies in order to achieve more sustainable lifeways. While thinking globally and acting locally has long been presented as a navigable channel between the small (e.g., personal) and the large (global) scale aspects of this relationship, very little is known about how individual motivation is affected by cultural and spatiotemporal variability. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art regarding human connectedness to nature and makes provisional suggestions about how to accommodate the effects of cultural diversity and spatial and temporal remoteness pursuant to a more sustainable relationship between people and the natural environment.
This edited volume reflects on the multitude of ways by which humans shape and are shaped by the ... more This edited volume reflects on the multitude of ways by which humans shape and are shaped by the natural world, and how Archaeology and its cognate disciplines recover this relationship. The structure and content of the book recognize Graeme Barker’s pioneering contribution to the scientific study of human–environment interaction, and form a secondary dialectic between his many colleagues and past students and the academic vista which he has helped define. The volume comprises 22 thematic papers, arranged chronologically, each a presentation of front-line research in their respective fields. They mirror the scope of Barker’s legacy through a focus on transitions in the human–environment relationship, how they are enacted and perceived. The assembled chapters illustrate how climate, demographic, subsistence, social and ecological change have affected cultures from the Palaeolithic to Historical, from North Africa and West-Central Eurasia to Southeast Asia and China. They also chronicle the innovations and renegotiated relations that communities have devised to meet and exploit the many shifting realities involved with Living in the Landscape.
This book examines the first human colonization of Asia and particularly the tropical environment... more This book examines the first human colonization of Asia and particularly the tropical environments of Southeast Asia during the Upper Pleistocene. In studying the unique character of the Asian archaeological record, it reassesses long-accepted propositions about the development of human 'modernity.' Ryan J. Rabett reveals an evolutionary relationship between colonization, the challenges encountered during this process – especially in relation to climatic and environmental change – and the forms of behaviour that emerged. This book argues that human modernity is not something achieved in the remote past in one part of the world, but rather is a diverse, flexible, responsive and ongoing process of adaptation.
• Tackles the Asian record, one of the most under-studied and least-published, but richly endowed, enigmatic areas of the Palaeolithic world – as indicated by recent discoveries in Southeast Asia, China and Siberia • Covers the character of the Southeast Asian record, which has long inspired debate on the subject of human cultural development, an area which has never been satisfactorily incorporated into traditional models of early humanity • The unique perspective provided by Palaeolithic archaeology on the behavioural evolution of our species is well-placed to make a major contribution to the ecologically and climatically-oriented paradigm that is emerging within Western science more generally
Over the past twenty years, government advisory bodies have placed increasing emphasis on the nee... more Over the past twenty years, government advisory bodies have placed increasing emphasis on the need for adaptive measures in response to the effects of human-induced climate change. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which incorporate macroeconomic and climate variables, feature prominently in advisory content, though they rarely draw on data from outside strictly constrained hypothetical systems. This has led to assertions that they are not well-suited to approximate complex systemic human-environment processes. Modular, interdisciplinary approaches have offered a way to address this shortcoming; however, beyond climate records, prehistoric data continue to be under-utilised in developing such models. In this paper we highlight the contribution that archaeology and palaeoecology can make to the development of the next generation IAMs that are expected to enhance provision for more local and pro-active adaptations to future climate change. We present data from one of Southeast Asia’s most heavily developed river deltas: the Red River (Song Hong) Delta, in Vietnam and localised analysis from the Tràng An Landscape Complex World Heritage Site, on the delta’s southern margin. Comparison is made between Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP) 5–8.5 and SSP2–4.5 emission projection models and the Mid-Holocene inundation of the Red River Basin. We highlight the value to taking a scientific long view of coastal evolution through an illustrative set of eight research foci where palaeo-data can bring new and localised empirical data to bear on future risk management planning. We proceed to demonstrate the applicability of palaeoenvironmental, zooarchaeological and historical evidence to management and the development of sustainable conservation strategies using Tràng An as a case study. In so doing, we further highlight the importance of knowledge exchange between scientific, corporate, non-governmental, local, and state stakeholders to achieve tangible results on the ground.
At the present time, the Van Long Nature Reserve Ninh Binh Province is home to the only viable su... more At the present time, the Van Long Nature Reserve Ninh Binh Province is home to the only viable sub-population of the ‘Critically Endangered’ Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri). The reserve contains about 200 individuals. The next largest sub-population of about 80 individuals exists in neighboring Ha Nam Province, in a currently unprotected area. Such small and isolated populations have heightened vulnerability to internal and external threats to their survival. The establishment of further sub-populations in suitable, secure and sustainable locations, therefore, is a crucial step towards helping to safeguard the survival of this species. Until the late 1990’s a small population is known to have existed in the Trang An limestone massif, Ninh Binh Province. In 2014 Trang An was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. With strict protection of the area now in place and the existing and excellent habitat that the massif offers for Delacour's langurs, the establishment of a new sub-population here was recommended soon after its inscription and is included in the "Urgent Action Plan for the Conservation of Primates in Vietnam until 2020, Vision 2030". The Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC), located in Cuc Phuong National Park, started breeding programs for several species of highly endangered primate in 1993, with the goal of releasing captive born individuals to support depleted wild populations or to establish new populations where the species has been extirpated. In 2017 a collaborative venture between local, national and international stakeholders was initiated to set in motion a reintroduction program for Delacour’s langurs in Trang An. In August 2020, a group of three captive-born Delacour's langurs was transferred to an island in the World Heritage Site as a first step towards a possible re-establishment of a sub-population in this area.
We present a multi-proxy study of environmental conditions during and after the recessional phase... more We present a multi-proxy study of environmental conditions during and after the recessional phases of pro-glacial Lake Algonquin in the vicinity of the North Bay outlet, Great Lakes Basin. Data presented comes from a new sedimentary profile obtained from the Balsam Creek kettle lake c. 34 km northeast of the city of North Bay. This site lies close to the northeast margin of the maximum extent of the post-Algonquin lake sequence, which drained through the Ottawa-Mattawa valley system. Our data are presented against a Bayesian age-depth model, supporting and extending regional understanding of vegetation succession in this part of northeast Ontario. The core profile provides a minimum age for the formation of the glacial outwash delta in which the kettle is set, as well as tentative timing for the Payette (post-Algonquin) lake phase. We highlight two discrete intervals during the Early Holocene, with modelled mean ages of: 8475-8040 cal. BP (332-316 cm) and 7645 cal. BP (286 cm), when climatic aridity affected the growth of vegetation within the kettle vicinity. Association with volcanic activity is posited. Cryptotephra dating to 7660-7430 cal. BP (mean age: 7580 cal. BP) is chronologically and geochemically assigned to the Mazama climactic eruption, while an earlier ash accumulation 8710-7865 cal. BP is tentatively sourced to an unknown eruption also in the Cascades region of Oregon. Outside of these periods, the Balsam Creek sequence shows considerable habitat stability and a character akin to that seen at more southerly latitudes. On this evidence we propose that access to reliable resources within kettle features could have aided the initial colonisation of northern Ontario's environmentally dynamic early post-glacial landscape.
Described at the end of the twentieth century, the large-antlered or giant muntjac, Muntiacus gig... more Described at the end of the twentieth century, the large-antlered or giant muntjac, Muntiacus gigas (syn. vuquangensis), is a Critically Endangered species currently restricted to the Annamite region in Southeast Asia. Here we report subfossil evidence of giant muntjac, a mandible fragment dated between 11.1 and 11.4 thousand years before present, from northern Vietnam. We describe morphological and metric criteria for diagnosis and consider the specimen in the context of regional archaeological and palaeontological records of Muntiacus. We then consider the palaeoenvironmental context of the specimen and the implications for habitat requirements for extant populations. The new specimen extends the known spatial and temporal range of giant muntjacs in Vietnam and is further evidence that this species was more widely distributed in the Holocene than current records indicate. While regional proxy evidence indicates a drier climate and more open woodland habitats at the onset of the Holocene, contextual evidence indicates that the specimen derived from an animal inhabiting limestone karst forest. This record also supports the assertion that remnant populations are in a refugial state, as a result of anthropogenic pressures, rather than representing a centre of endemism. These facts underscore the urgent need for the conservation of remaining populations.
In this paper we present a multi‐proxy study of tropical limestone forest and its utilization by ... more In this paper we present a multi‐proxy study of tropical limestone forest and its utilization by human groups during the major climatic and environmental upheavals of MIS‐2 (29‐11.7 kBP). Our data are drawn from new field research within the Tràng An World Heritage property on the edge of the Red River Delta, northern Vietnam. Key findings from this study include 1) that limestone forest formations were resilient to the large‐scale landscape transformation of the Sunda continent at the end of the last glaciation; 2) that prehistoric human groups were probably present in this habitat through‐out MIS‐2; and 3) that the forested, insular, karst of Tràng An provided foragers with a stable resource‐base in a wider changing landscape. These results have implications for our understanding of the prehistoric utilization of karst environments, and resonance for their conservation in the face of climate and environmental change today. Quaternary International (in press) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2016.06.010
Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering ... more Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering 2,500 hectares that is centred on an isolated massif on the southern edge of the Song Hong delta in Ninh B`ınh Province, north Vietnam (Fig. 1). The archaeological ...
... Ryan J. Rabett Page 2. ... develop-ments in Southeast, Central and North Asia during the Midd... more ... Ryan J. Rabett Page 2. ... develop-ments in Southeast, Central and North Asia during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene and the potential impact of the Asian evidence on current models of early modern human behaviour. ... [T]wo regions took shape in which the evolution of culture ...
Variation in the temporal and spatial composition of large vertebrate communities is often used a... more Variation in the temporal and spatial composition of large vertebrate communities is often used as a proxy for identifying local or regional differences in palaeoenvi- ronment and/or hominid hunting strategy. Differences in the structure of vertebrate communities, however, are rarely identified in the archaeological record, and the relevance that any observed variation might have for our understanding of human foraging behaviour is rarely considered. In this paper we discuss the possible reasons for the significant differences in the population structure of the dominant taxa from two almost contemporaneous Terminal Pleistocene vertebrate assemblages that are the product of human hunting activities from the West Mouth and Lobang Hangus entrances to Niah Cave, Borneo. The results indicate that hunting strategy might have been determined by the vertical location of the two cave mouths and local variation in the ecology and topography of the surrounding environment.
Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering ... more Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering 2,500 hectares that is centred on an isolated massif on the southern edge of the Song Hong delta in Ninh B`ınh Province, north Vietnam (Fig. 1). The archaeological ...
... Prehistoric assemblages appear to have included bone technology only on rare occasions in the... more ... Prehistoric assemblages appear to have included bone technology only on rare occasions in the Philippines (Olsen and Glover 2004), though instances have been recorded at Sohoton Cave on Samar Island, the Balobok rock shelter in Tawi Tawi province (Bautista 1999 ... aroun ...
The Niah Caves in Sarawak, Borneo, have captured evidence for people and economies of 8000 and 40... more The Niah Caves in Sarawak, Borneo, have captured evidence for people and economies of 8000 and 4000 years ago. Although not continuous on this site, these open two windows on to life at the cultural turning point, broadly equivalent to the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic. They have much in common, inferring that the occupants, perhaps belonging to an older maritime dispersal, had a choosy appetite for the Neolithic package.
Working Paper Series #15, America College of Greece, 2023
International advisory science demonstrates with increasing certainty that the current climate an... more International advisory science demonstrates with increasing certainty that the current climate and biodiversity crises facing the planet are the consequence of human activity. Governmental and societal awareness of this is now widespread. Advocacy of individual and local action for the collective good at all stages of life has become mainstream and a maxim for people and institutions to align routines, activities and policies in order to achieve more sustainable lifeways. While thinking globally and acting locally has long been presented as a navigable channel between the small (e.g., personal) and the large (global) scale aspects of this relationship, very little is known about how individual motivation is affected by cultural and spatiotemporal variability. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art regarding human connectedness to nature and makes provisional suggestions about how to accommodate the effects of cultural diversity and spatial and temporal remoteness pursuant to a more sustainable relationship between people and the natural environment.
This edited volume reflects on the multitude of ways by which humans shape and are shaped by the ... more This edited volume reflects on the multitude of ways by which humans shape and are shaped by the natural world, and how Archaeology and its cognate disciplines recover this relationship. The structure and content of the book recognize Graeme Barker’s pioneering contribution to the scientific study of human–environment interaction, and form a secondary dialectic between his many colleagues and past students and the academic vista which he has helped define. The volume comprises 22 thematic papers, arranged chronologically, each a presentation of front-line research in their respective fields. They mirror the scope of Barker’s legacy through a focus on transitions in the human–environment relationship, how they are enacted and perceived. The assembled chapters illustrate how climate, demographic, subsistence, social and ecological change have affected cultures from the Palaeolithic to Historical, from North Africa and West-Central Eurasia to Southeast Asia and China. They also chronicle the innovations and renegotiated relations that communities have devised to meet and exploit the many shifting realities involved with Living in the Landscape.
This book examines the first human colonization of Asia and particularly the tropical environment... more This book examines the first human colonization of Asia and particularly the tropical environments of Southeast Asia during the Upper Pleistocene. In studying the unique character of the Asian archaeological record, it reassesses long-accepted propositions about the development of human 'modernity.' Ryan J. Rabett reveals an evolutionary relationship between colonization, the challenges encountered during this process – especially in relation to climatic and environmental change – and the forms of behaviour that emerged. This book argues that human modernity is not something achieved in the remote past in one part of the world, but rather is a diverse, flexible, responsive and ongoing process of adaptation.
• Tackles the Asian record, one of the most under-studied and least-published, but richly endowed, enigmatic areas of the Palaeolithic world – as indicated by recent discoveries in Southeast Asia, China and Siberia • Covers the character of the Southeast Asian record, which has long inspired debate on the subject of human cultural development, an area which has never been satisfactorily incorporated into traditional models of early humanity • The unique perspective provided by Palaeolithic archaeology on the behavioural evolution of our species is well-placed to make a major contribution to the ecologically and climatically-oriented paradigm that is emerging within Western science more generally
Over the past twenty years, government advisory bodies have placed increasing emphasis on the nee... more Over the past twenty years, government advisory bodies have placed increasing emphasis on the need for adaptive measures in response to the effects of human-induced climate change. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which incorporate macroeconomic and climate variables, feature prominently in advisory content, though they rarely draw on data from outside strictly constrained hypothetical systems. This has led to assertions that they are not well-suited to approximate complex systemic human-environment processes. Modular, interdisciplinary approaches have offered a way to address this shortcoming; however, beyond climate records, prehistoric data continue to be under-utilised in developing such models. In this paper we highlight the contribution that archaeology and palaeoecology can make to the development of the next generation IAMs that are expected to enhance provision for more local and pro-active adaptations to future climate change. We present data from one of Southeast Asia’s most heavily developed river deltas: the Red River (Song Hong) Delta, in Vietnam and localised analysis from the Tràng An Landscape Complex World Heritage Site, on the delta’s southern margin. Comparison is made between Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP) 5–8.5 and SSP2–4.5 emission projection models and the Mid-Holocene inundation of the Red River Basin. We highlight the value to taking a scientific long view of coastal evolution through an illustrative set of eight research foci where palaeo-data can bring new and localised empirical data to bear on future risk management planning. We proceed to demonstrate the applicability of palaeoenvironmental, zooarchaeological and historical evidence to management and the development of sustainable conservation strategies using Tràng An as a case study. In so doing, we further highlight the importance of knowledge exchange between scientific, corporate, non-governmental, local, and state stakeholders to achieve tangible results on the ground.
At the present time, the Van Long Nature Reserve Ninh Binh Province is home to the only viable su... more At the present time, the Van Long Nature Reserve Ninh Binh Province is home to the only viable sub-population of the ‘Critically Endangered’ Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri). The reserve contains about 200 individuals. The next largest sub-population of about 80 individuals exists in neighboring Ha Nam Province, in a currently unprotected area. Such small and isolated populations have heightened vulnerability to internal and external threats to their survival. The establishment of further sub-populations in suitable, secure and sustainable locations, therefore, is a crucial step towards helping to safeguard the survival of this species. Until the late 1990’s a small population is known to have existed in the Trang An limestone massif, Ninh Binh Province. In 2014 Trang An was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. With strict protection of the area now in place and the existing and excellent habitat that the massif offers for Delacour's langurs, the establishment of a new sub-population here was recommended soon after its inscription and is included in the "Urgent Action Plan for the Conservation of Primates in Vietnam until 2020, Vision 2030". The Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC), located in Cuc Phuong National Park, started breeding programs for several species of highly endangered primate in 1993, with the goal of releasing captive born individuals to support depleted wild populations or to establish new populations where the species has been extirpated. In 2017 a collaborative venture between local, national and international stakeholders was initiated to set in motion a reintroduction program for Delacour’s langurs in Trang An. In August 2020, a group of three captive-born Delacour's langurs was transferred to an island in the World Heritage Site as a first step towards a possible re-establishment of a sub-population in this area.
We present a multi-proxy study of environmental conditions during and after the recessional phase... more We present a multi-proxy study of environmental conditions during and after the recessional phases of pro-glacial Lake Algonquin in the vicinity of the North Bay outlet, Great Lakes Basin. Data presented comes from a new sedimentary profile obtained from the Balsam Creek kettle lake c. 34 km northeast of the city of North Bay. This site lies close to the northeast margin of the maximum extent of the post-Algonquin lake sequence, which drained through the Ottawa-Mattawa valley system. Our data are presented against a Bayesian age-depth model, supporting and extending regional understanding of vegetation succession in this part of northeast Ontario. The core profile provides a minimum age for the formation of the glacial outwash delta in which the kettle is set, as well as tentative timing for the Payette (post-Algonquin) lake phase. We highlight two discrete intervals during the Early Holocene, with modelled mean ages of: 8475-8040 cal. BP (332-316 cm) and 7645 cal. BP (286 cm), when climatic aridity affected the growth of vegetation within the kettle vicinity. Association with volcanic activity is posited. Cryptotephra dating to 7660-7430 cal. BP (mean age: 7580 cal. BP) is chronologically and geochemically assigned to the Mazama climactic eruption, while an earlier ash accumulation 8710-7865 cal. BP is tentatively sourced to an unknown eruption also in the Cascades region of Oregon. Outside of these periods, the Balsam Creek sequence shows considerable habitat stability and a character akin to that seen at more southerly latitudes. On this evidence we propose that access to reliable resources within kettle features could have aided the initial colonisation of northern Ontario's environmentally dynamic early post-glacial landscape.
Described at the end of the twentieth century, the large-antlered or giant muntjac, Muntiacus gig... more Described at the end of the twentieth century, the large-antlered or giant muntjac, Muntiacus gigas (syn. vuquangensis), is a Critically Endangered species currently restricted to the Annamite region in Southeast Asia. Here we report subfossil evidence of giant muntjac, a mandible fragment dated between 11.1 and 11.4 thousand years before present, from northern Vietnam. We describe morphological and metric criteria for diagnosis and consider the specimen in the context of regional archaeological and palaeontological records of Muntiacus. We then consider the palaeoenvironmental context of the specimen and the implications for habitat requirements for extant populations. The new specimen extends the known spatial and temporal range of giant muntjacs in Vietnam and is further evidence that this species was more widely distributed in the Holocene than current records indicate. While regional proxy evidence indicates a drier climate and more open woodland habitats at the onset of the Holocene, contextual evidence indicates that the specimen derived from an animal inhabiting limestone karst forest. This record also supports the assertion that remnant populations are in a refugial state, as a result of anthropogenic pressures, rather than representing a centre of endemism. These facts underscore the urgent need for the conservation of remaining populations.
In this paper we present a multi‐proxy study of tropical limestone forest and its utilization by ... more In this paper we present a multi‐proxy study of tropical limestone forest and its utilization by human groups during the major climatic and environmental upheavals of MIS‐2 (29‐11.7 kBP). Our data are drawn from new field research within the Tràng An World Heritage property on the edge of the Red River Delta, northern Vietnam. Key findings from this study include 1) that limestone forest formations were resilient to the large‐scale landscape transformation of the Sunda continent at the end of the last glaciation; 2) that prehistoric human groups were probably present in this habitat through‐out MIS‐2; and 3) that the forested, insular, karst of Tràng An provided foragers with a stable resource‐base in a wider changing landscape. These results have implications for our understanding of the prehistoric utilization of karst environments, and resonance for their conservation in the face of climate and environmental change today. Quaternary International (in press) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2016.06.010
Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering ... more Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering 2,500 hectares that is centred on an isolated massif on the southern edge of the Song Hong delta in Ninh B`ınh Province, north Vietnam (Fig. 1). The archaeological ...
... Ryan J. Rabett Page 2. ... develop-ments in Southeast, Central and North Asia during the Midd... more ... Ryan J. Rabett Page 2. ... develop-ments in Southeast, Central and North Asia during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene and the potential impact of the Asian evidence on current models of early modern human behaviour. ... [T]wo regions took shape in which the evolution of culture ...
Variation in the temporal and spatial composition of large vertebrate communities is often used a... more Variation in the temporal and spatial composition of large vertebrate communities is often used as a proxy for identifying local or regional differences in palaeoenvi- ronment and/or hominid hunting strategy. Differences in the structure of vertebrate communities, however, are rarely identified in the archaeological record, and the relevance that any observed variation might have for our understanding of human foraging behaviour is rarely considered. In this paper we discuss the possible reasons for the significant differences in the population structure of the dominant taxa from two almost contemporaneous Terminal Pleistocene vertebrate assemblages that are the product of human hunting activities from the West Mouth and Lobang Hangus entrances to Niah Cave, Borneo. The results indicate that hunting strategy might have been determined by the vertical location of the two cave mouths and local variation in the ecology and topography of the surrounding environment.
Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering ... more Tr`ang An is a Vietnamese government supported cultural and ecological park development covering 2,500 hectares that is centred on an isolated massif on the southern edge of the Song Hong delta in Ninh B`ınh Province, north Vietnam (Fig. 1). The archaeological ...
... Prehistoric assemblages appear to have included bone technology only on rare occasions in the... more ... Prehistoric assemblages appear to have included bone technology only on rare occasions in the Philippines (Olsen and Glover 2004), though instances have been recorded at Sohoton Cave on Samar Island, the Balobok rock shelter in Tawi Tawi province (Bautista 1999 ... aroun ...
The Niah Caves in Sarawak, Borneo, have captured evidence for people and economies of 8000 and 40... more The Niah Caves in Sarawak, Borneo, have captured evidence for people and economies of 8000 and 4000 years ago. Although not continuous on this site, these open two windows on to life at the cultural turning point, broadly equivalent to the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic. They have much in common, inferring that the occupants, perhaps belonging to an older maritime dispersal, had a choosy appetite for the Neolithic package.
Examination of a selection of shell and bone from archaeological assemblages excavated at Niah Ca... more Examination of a selection of shell and bone from archaeological assemblages excavated at Niah Cave and Gua Sireh, both of which are located in Sarawak, Borneo, has revealed the deliberate application of coloured material to one or more surfaces. Small fragments of the surface colourant were analysed using a variety of techniques, including microscopy, energy dispersive microwave analysis and infra-red
Cycles of sea‐level change had a significant impact on Southeast Asian prehistory and continue to... more Cycles of sea‐level change had a significant impact on Southeast Asian prehistory and continue to affect the lives of people living in this region today. Under glacial conditions, with lowered seas, the continent of Asia extended into the Southern Hemisphere, while up to 75% of that additional landmass (ʹSundalandʹ) is submerged during interglacials, making this the worldʹs largest single area of land lost cyclically to the sea. Centred on the Tràng An World Heritage property in northern Vietnam, the 3.5‐year (c. £1m Arts & Humanities Research Council and Xuan Truong Enterprise) SUNDASIA project examines archaeological and palaeoenvironmental evidence spanning the last three marine transgressions (59,000‐1500 years ago), in order to explore how prehistoric communities adapted to past cycles of coastal inundation. The project further assesses how our understanding of human and environmental responses in the remote past can better inform modern responses to the effects of climate‐change. With more than 23% of the worldʹs population currently living along coastlines or on low‐lying islands, many communities face the urgent threat of climate‐driven sea‐level rise, and this is particularly acute in Southeast Asia where the rate of increase is three times the global average. Although scientists and policy‐makers regularly incorporate long‐term palaeoenvironmental records into predictive models of climate change, little attention has been paid in that effort to considering how people coped with such changes in the past. Devising adaptive measures that permit a diverse repertoire of responses to climate‐change is seen as key to the increasing the accuracy and practicality of modern models, yet these measures remain poorly understood. With sea‐level change having been a powerful driver behind culture‐ economic systems for tens of millennia in the ecologically diverse environments of Southeast Asia, the archaeological record of this region and particularly that from Tràng An offers enormous potential to help bridge this knowledge gap.
Cambridge: McDonald Institute Monograph in G. Barker (ed.) Rainforest Foraging and Farming in Island Southeast Asia: The Archaeology and Environmental History of the Niah Caves, Sarawak, Niah Cave Project Monographs, 2013
The evidence for an early dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa into the Levant during MIS‐5 (126... more The evidence for an early dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa into the Levant during MIS‐5 (126‐74 Ka) was characterised for many years as an 'abortive' expansion, a pre‐cursor to a sustained dispersal from which all extant human populations can be traced. Recent archaeological and genetic data from both western and eastern parts of Eurasia and from Australia are starting to challenge that interpretation. This short paper reviews current evidence for a scenario where the MIS‐5 dispersal encompassed a much greater geographic distribution and temporal duration. It considers the implications of this for tracking and understanding early human dispersal in Southeast Asia specifically, and asks if dispersal success should be measured only through genetic continuity into the present.
(The full published text now is available at the URL link. Note that the file cannot be downloaded but can be accessed as part of the 'Springer Nature Content Sharing Initiative'.)
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• Tackles the Asian record, one of the most under-studied and least-published, but richly endowed, enigmatic areas of the Palaeolithic world – as indicated by recent discoveries in Southeast Asia, China and Siberia • Covers the character of the Southeast Asian record, which has long inspired debate on the subject of human cultural development, an area which has never been satisfactorily incorporated into traditional models of early humanity • The unique perspective provided by Palaeolithic archaeology on the behavioural evolution of our species is well-placed to make a major contribution to the ecologically and climatically-oriented paradigm that is emerging within Western science more generally
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• Tackles the Asian record, one of the most under-studied and least-published, but richly endowed, enigmatic areas of the Palaeolithic world – as indicated by recent discoveries in Southeast Asia, China and Siberia • Covers the character of the Southeast Asian record, which has long inspired debate on the subject of human cultural development, an area which has never been satisfactorily incorporated into traditional models of early humanity • The unique perspective provided by Palaeolithic archaeology on the behavioural evolution of our species is well-placed to make a major contribution to the ecologically and climatically-oriented paradigm that is emerging within Western science more generally
(The full published text now is available at the URL link. Note that the file cannot be downloaded but can be accessed as part of the 'Springer Nature Content Sharing Initiative'.)