| Abstract: |
This article documents the results of sediment coring in Lake Kumphawapi near the Ban Chiang archaeological site in Northeast Thailand. In particular, Kealhofer's study utilizes phytolith and charcoal analysis to reconstruct climate, the ecological environment and human impact in the area. The core sequences suggest a more arid climate with greater seasonal variation in the past. While samples dating to the Late Pleistocene reveal no indications of human impact, those from the Early through Mid Holocene may suggest broadcast burning and various other burning strategies related to complex subsistence pursuits. Early Holocene sequences seem to point to various overlapping strategies that do not include swidden agriculture. Mid Holocene sequences, on the other hand, contained phytoliths that are commonly associated with large-scale swidden agriculture.
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