Diversified subsistence strategies in early sedentary populations of mainland Southeast Asia: insights from the faunal remains at Lò gạch, Southern Vietnam

Abstract

In the past two decades, zooarchaeology combined with improved dating techniques has provided significant insights into the initial appearance of domestic animals in Southeast Asia. The suite of domestic animals commonly associated with Neolithic introduction—pigs (Sus scrofa), dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), chicken (Gallus gallus), and bovines (Bubalus bubalis and Bos sp(p).)—arrived early in some areas but not others. In Southern Vietnam, analysis of animal bone assemblages and radiocarbon dating of Neolithic sites (c. 4200–3500 cal. BP) indicate that early managed animal populations were linked to sedentary lifestyles. Research has shown that pigs and dogs are present in the Neolithic, but bovines and chicken are absent. But the timing of integration of these domesticates into economic strategies remains unclear due to the lack of zooarchaeological studies on early metallurgical sites. Lò Gạch, the focus of this project, an early copper-base metallurgy settlement on the Vàm Cỏ Tây River, shows that animal management was supplemented by hunting around 3000–2200 cal. BP, with limited evidence of bovines and no domestic chicken. This highlights the complexity and regional variability in the spread and integration of domestic animals in the region.