The boat and the plough: fish harvesting and processing strategies in the lower Mekong river basin from prehistory to the Angkor era

Beskrivning

Keywords: maritime archaeology, deep pools, fishing, Mekong, fermented fish
Abstract: The location of pre-Angkorian archaeological sites in the main course of
the Mekong River Basin between Kratie (Cambodia) and Champassak (Laos) has
been attributed to local populations’ attempts to control goods moving in and out of
the hinterland based on Bronson’s model of river hierarchies in Southeast Asia.
These interpretations have placed an emphasis on trade, in addition to rice
cultivation, as a marker for social complexity and wealth accumulation. In this
presentation I will argue that the location of these sites can be linked to fish
resources, and that social complexity can be similarly attributed to societal responses
to fisheries management, adding to an increasing list of examples of convergence in
cultural niche construction surrounding floodplain fishery in tropical river
environments. In doing so, the essay reviews two data sets that are rarely used to
discuss the selected archaeological material: regional fish ecosystems and traditional
ecological knowledge of fishing practices among local communities. The study
examines fish migration patterns, and explores traditional fishing practices
connected to the systematic exploitation of the two main ecological niches linked to
the reproductive life of fish –flood plains and deep pools. The location of these
fishing grounds and the constraints that fishing resources impose on people is
discussed in relation to archaeological data and livelihood activities related to
fishing and fish processing. The discussion will then explore similar examples of
flood plain fisheries management in the Amazon and Congo River Basins.

Period	13 sep. 2022
Händelsetitel	Landscape Archaeology conference
Typ av evenemang	Konferens
Konferensnummer	7
Plats	Iasi, RumänienVisa på karta
Omfattning	Internationell