Fishbone artefacts from the Samrong Sen site, Cambodia, cast new light on Bronze Age networking between inland and coastal communities

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we examine previously unstudied archaeological fish remains recovered during Mansuy's first excavation in 1902 from the inland Samrong Sen midden site in Cambodia and which are currently stored at the Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France. The remains are dated by association to the Neolithic/Bronze Age between 2206 and 1892 cal. bc from a time when the development of metal age trade and exchange networks contributed substantially to the success of many cultures in this diverse region. We focus on the taxonomy of the fish captured and the implications for technology and regional networks. The identification of two perforated shark vertebrae beads indicates that, during the late Neolithic to Bronze Age period, trade and exchange between coastal and inland communities was prominent on mainland Southeast Asia.