A Buried Jar Site and its Destruction: Tham An Mah cave, Luang Prabang province, Lao PDR

First SEAMEO SPAFA International Conference on Southeast Asian Archaeology, Chonburi, Thailand, 7-10 May 2013The Middle Mekong Archaeological Project conducted excavations at Tham An Mah cave, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, as part of a larger study exploring the prehistoric archaeology of the region. Buried under surface layers were pits containing ceramic jars associated with human remains, in a complex sequence of deposits. Rare for cave sites here, the preservation of the site was excellent. The finds included a worked stone disc, overlying a crushed pot and human remains, and a constellation of types of remains resembling others from iron age sites in the region, including the Plain of Jars. Soon after we completed our field season in 2010, the National Museum learned that the site had been disturbed. In 2013 we returned to assess the impact of this and devise a plan for rescue archaeology at the site. This paper discusses the preliminary findings from Tham An Mah and its potential regional significance.University College DublinLuce FoundationUniversity of Pennsylvania Museu

Archaeological investigations in northern Laos : new contributions to Southeast Asian prehistory

Not applicableNational Science FoundationNational Geographic SocietyHenry Luce FoundationUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and AnthropologyDepartment of Heritage, Lao PDRUniversity College Dublin Seed FundingUS Embassy Lao PDRAustralian National Universit

Archaeological investigations in northern Laos : new contributions to Southeast Asian prehistory

Not applicableNational Science FoundationNational Geographic SocietyHenry Luce FoundationUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and AnthropologyDepartment of Heritage, Lao PDRUniversity College Dublin Seed FundingUS Embassy Lao PDRAustralian National Universit

Faunas from Tam Hang cave fillings (Laos): preliminary results

International audienc

Tam Hang Rockshelter: Preliminary Study of a Prehistoric Site in Northern Laos

In February 1934, Jacques Fromaget, from the Geological Service of Indochina, discovered the Tam Hang site in northern Laos. The site is a rockshelter, located on the southeastern slope of the Annamitic Chain on the edge of the P’a Hang cliff. The geologist’s excavation revealed considerable faunal remains from the middle Pleistocene as well as human biological and cultural remains from the pre-Holocene period. One of the human skeletons discovered by Fromaget buried beneath the shelter has recently been radiocarbon-dated to 15,740G80 b.p. After being relocated by Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy, an international team carried out new excavations in April 2003. Undisturbed cultural layers from the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene have been identified. The presence of pottery and a lithic industry suggests the use of the site from at least the late Pleistocene into the Holocene. This particularity confers on the site a character rarely found in mainland Southeast Asia. This preliminary study describes the 2003 excavation, the cultural elements found, and presents the historical and archaeological significance of the site in the international context of the quest for human origins that prevailed in the 1930s

Redécouverte d'une faune pléistocène dans les remplissages karstiques de Tam Hang au Laos : premiers résultats.

12 pagesThe discovery of a Pleistocene fauna in karstic fills at TamHang in Laos: preliminary results. TamHang, located in northeastern Laos, in the Hua Pan province, is a reference site not only for its numerous archaeological and human remains, but also for its two faunal assemblages, whose composition suggests different dating in the Pleistocene. Discovered in 1934 by Jacques Fromaget, a new excavation of the site has been undertaken in 2003. During this campaign, at Tam Hang south, 575 isolated teeth of mammals were extracted from a deep layer of calcareous breccia. This assemblage corresponds to that one described by Arambourg and Fromaget [C. Arambourg, J. Fromaget, Le gisement quaternaire de Tam Nang (Chaîne Annamitique septentrionale). Sa stratigraphie et ses faunes, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 203 (1938) 793–795.], as characterized by the presence of Ursus premalayanus, and the rarity of Pongo pygmaeus. Systematics and analysis of teeth show that this new assemblage is composed of archaic subspecies, characteristic of the Middle Pleistocene. The faunal composition suggests ecological conditions also found in other Pleistocene sites of the South-East- Asia mainland area. Finally, the analysis of the process of preservation and deposition enables a brief description of the taphonomy specific of karstic systems.Tam Hang, localisé dans le Nord-Est du Laos, dans la province de Hua Pan, est un site de référence, non seulement pour ses nombreux vestiges archéologiques et humains, mais aussi pour ses deux assemblages fauniques, dont le contenu suggère des âges différents dans le Pléistocène. Découvert en 1934 par Jacques Fromaget, son exploitation a été reprise en 2003. Lors de cette nouvelle campagne, nous avons extrait de l'épaisse couche de brèche calcaire qui affleurait massivement à Tam Hang sud, 575 dents isolées de mammifères. Cet assemblage correspond à celui qu'Arambourg et Fromaget [C. Arambourg, J. Fromaget, Le gisement quaternaire de Tam Nang (Chaîne Annamitique septentrionale). Sa stratigraphie et ses faunes, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 203 (1938) 793–795.] caractérisent par la présence d'Ursus premalayanus et par la rareté de Pongo pygmaeus. La détermination systématique et l'analyse des dents montrent que cet assemblage comprend plusieurs sous-espèces archaïques, typiques du Pléistocène moyen. La composition de la faune suggère des conditions écologiques que l'on retrouve également dans les autres sites pléistocènes d'Asie du Sud-Est continentale. Enfin, l'analyse des processus de conservation et de dépôt permet de rappeler brièvement quels sont les facteurs taphonomiques spécifiques des milieux karstiques