| Abstract: |
The Santunbong sites of the Sarawak river delta on the north coast of Burneo are amongst the most important historic period sites yet discovered in maritime Southeast Asia. Much has been published about the ceramic and metallic remains from the sites, and two major interpretations of the material, by Harrisson and by Cheng, have so far appeared, both suggesting that the iron industry was based upon imported technology and grew to an enormous size by the 12th century because of demand in the Chinese market for imported iron. This essay combines a critique of both of these aspects of the existing models with a proposed outline for a reinterpretation of the sites based upon closer inspection of the excavated remains and historical sources.
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