Phaeng Pha Tham Lod

Terrain

General condition

The archaeological site of Pha Tham Lod is a small rock shelter in a limestone mountain. The appearance of the shed is a sloping cliff. Under the cliff was a narrow plain. It is about 4-5 meters wide, about 30 meters long, and about 30 meters high.

The condition of the cliff floor had large limestone lumps scattered everywhere, not very dense. In addition, there are also various artifacts scattered on the soil surface, such as stone tools, animal bones, clay pottery fragments. Next to the flat area is an inclined area that slopes down to the plains below. The floor of the cliff was about 3 meters higher than the flat ground below.

The area surrounding the archaeological site is mixed deciduous forest, dry evergreen forest and deciduous dipterocarp forest.

Away from the archaeological site of Tham Lod which is an archaeological site in the wooden sarcophagus culture, about 800 meters, but in the same limestone mountain and about 250 meters from the Lang River to the west (Rasami Choosongdet et al. 2003b)

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Lang river (rail?)

Geological conditions

Geological characteristics of the archaeological site, Pha Tham Lod is located on the glacial landform of an open basin. It is almost a semicircular shape. In addition, the aforementioned rock shelter was the only one with a flat area beneath the cliff. The formation of this cliff may be caused by the sliding or collapse of limestone in this area in the past. Before the collapse, it was expected that this area would look like a large cavern. It collapsed until sediment was accumulated in the basin as it is today. which from the geophysical survey with vibration (Seismic) found that under the flat area below the cliff (Or around the football field) there are many caves (Chavalit Khao Kheow 2004 :45-46)

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Scientific age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

The area of ​​the Tham Lod Cliff Shed has been used by people from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene (about 30,000-10,000 years ago). Currently together

The location of the Tham Lod Cliff Shed is quite suitable for human activities in the past. because it is quite high The shelter protects from the sun and rain well. close to natural water sources is the middle river

In terms of the formation process of archaeological sites, it was found that the soil layer appearing for human activities was quite thick. Demonstrates continued use of space. However, there are still soil layers that do not have human activity interspersed, such as landslides, flooded soils.

In the area of ​​the cave cliff shelters, people came to use the area from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene (about 30,000-10,000 years ago). There is also evidence of its use in the present. too For the prehistoric period can be divided into 2 major periods:

1. Late Pleistocene (approximately 30,000-10,000 years ago) found evidence showing a social-hunting-hunting social settlement. The use of this area has been continuous for a long time. causing quite dense evidence such as stone crackers, animal bones, human skeletons, etc.

2. Holocene era (about 10,000 years ago) The use of prehistoric people in this period is relatively sparse compared to the previous period. Because there is relatively little archaeological evidence found. Evidence found such as crackers stone tools, animal bones, earthenware fragments, etc.

The cultural characteristics of the past can be summarized as follows:

Technology and tools

Late Pleistocene The production of tools these days is the production of stone crackers from river pebbles. (Probably from the middle river) mostly sandstone. The rest are quartzite, mudstone, and andesite. The technique of making stone tools involves direct percussion hammering into the rock core. to cause cracks and is often a one-sided crack Therefore, the stone tools are amorphous, followed by the sumatralit double-faced stone tools. (Sumatralith)

during approx. 22,000-10,000 years ago, a new technology for producing stone tools appeared. is a stone tool that has been polished to the tip Edge-grinding stone and polished perforated disk were also found in raw material hoarding behavior in stone tool production (Rasame Chusongdet et al. 2002; 2007a)

Holocene Era During the Late Holocene, it is expected that the technology of stone chipping tool production will either cease or decline in popularity. but prefer to use stone tools using rain polishing technology In order to make the sharpness of the tool smoother and more efficient in use, such as a terrazzo ax tool (Polished adze), it also appears that the pottery is used. It is thought to be local production. With an open-air kiln, the heat and temperature control process is not very good. It is produced for daily use. However, the area for the production of pottery has not yet been discovered in the area around Pha Tham Lod shelter or in Pang Mapha district.

All the earthenware fragments are clay. Most of the soil texture is medium-sized, rather coarse. The patterns found were:slashed rope, scratched patterns, etc. No changes were found in pottery production techniques (Rasamee Chusongdet et al. 2002; 2007a)

In addition, fragments of historically tough earthenware were found from Huai Nam Yuak kilns, Khun Yam district, Mae Hong Son province, about 100-200 years ago.

Living

People who came to use the cave shelters in the late Pleistocene period lived by hunting and hunting. The popular animals to hunt include mammals that live on land such as elephants, rhinos, deer, wild cattle, wild buffaloes, chamois, bears, wild boars, barking deer, hedgehogs, etc. Small mammals that live on trees such as monkeys, lemurs, etc. Crawls such as monitor lizards, turtles, etc., and aquatic animals such as fish and shellfish. The most likely targets for hunting are deer.

After hunting, the carcasses are slaughtered in a killing site if the hunt involves the number of laborers who can move the carcass whole. and hunting areas not far from the shelter (Shelter Pha Tham Lod) Hunting groups will move the carcass back to the shelter as a whole. whether large or medium-sized animals However, if the hunting grounds were far from the resting area, and the labor force was insufficient to bring the whole carcass back to the shelter. Hunting groups would choose to move the carcasses only from the protein-rich and easiest-to-eat part of the animal, which is meat. that is, the limbs or torso and often leave the head at the slaughter site.

When moving the carcass back to the shelter The hunting group then dissected the carcass again. to bring the animals into the cooking process which from the evidence of animal bone fragments that were burned It is thought that one of the methods used for cooking was grilling or burning. In addition, evidence of animal bone fragments shattered into shreds. and traces of smashing It has been shown that hunters also smashed bones with stone tools to eat bone marrow (Lyman 1999). Stirring up bone marrow to eat bone marrow is probably the same process as or coincides with preparing the bone to produce the tool. animal bones (Thitiporn Chaiyacharoen and Anusorn Amphansri 2007) and when these processes are completed The hunters would leave the remaining animal bones on the wall of the shed or throw it on the slopes below. These discarded animal carcasses are what attract scavengers. including rodents such as porcupines, causing traces of their teeth to appear on animal bone fragments (Rasami Chusongdet et al. 2007ก; Anusorn Amphansri 2007; 2010)

During the Holocene, there was a change in the environment. The area around the cliffs has reduced the fertility of the forest. The evergreen forest that had appeared in the late Pleistocene was gone. Only mixed deciduous forest, deciduous dipterocarp forest, bamboo forest, limestone forest, open grassland. and natural water sources The group of people who came to use the area of ​​Pha Tham Lod shelter continued to live by hunting and hunting. Transporting the hunted carcass back to the shelter It will be dissected and brought back only the limbs and sometimes the whole body. It shows that the hunting area is both far and near from the cliff (Rasmi Choosongdet et al. 2007a; Anusorn Amphansri 2007; 2010)

Ancient environment

From the study of animal bones found from the archaeological site of Pha Tham Lod shelter. Found that in the late Pleistocene, a variety of animals were found. Both land mammals such as deer, wild cattle, wild buffalo, wild boar, buffalo bear, chamois, barking deer, fire tiger, rhinoceros, elephant, monkey, lemurs, hedgehogs, etc., reptiles such as turtles, monitor lizards, etc. Aquatic animals such as fish show that the environment in this area should be It consists of evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, deciduous dipterocarp forest, bamboo forest, limestone forest, open grassland. and not far from the water source (Rasami Chusongdet et al. 2007 Kor; Anusorn Amphansri 2007; 2010)

During the Holocene, the animal bones found remained similar to the Late Pleistocene, including deer, wild cattle, wild buffaloes, wild boars, bears, chamois, barking deer, elephants, monkeys, lemurs, porcupines, turtles, fish and crabs. It's possible that there were no rhinos in the area in those days. Therefore, the environment during this period should consist of mixed deciduous forest, deciduous dipterocarp forest, bamboo forest, limestone forest, open grassland. and not far from the water source There was a decrease in fertility compared to the previous period, the Late Pleistocene. because there were no animal bones from the rainforest at all.

Human

Evidence of ancient humans found at the oldest cave shed is the early modern human skeleton, or Archaic Homo sapiens sapiens At least four of them, the oldest being about 13,640 years ago, were female skeletons. Age at death about 25-35 years. Another frame aged 12,100 years ago is in adulthood. Can't determine gender by the size and characteristics of the lower jawbone or the chin clearly show the characteristics of being “traditional” (Rasmi Choosongdet et al. 2007b; Natthamon Phureepatpong 2007)

The skeletons found at Pha Tham Lod archaeological site are among the oldest modern human skeletons found in northern Thailand. Without much formality, these skeletons were buried underground. Only a rather large stone was placed on top of the tomb.

belief

The most prominent beliefs are death and burial traditions. and a stone was placed over the tomb The first skeleton, which is about 13,000 years ago, was buried by digging a grave and burying the deceased in a bending position and facing the cliff. Among the offerings found with the skeleton were only animal bone fragments and pebbles that might have been hammered. Above the tomb, large gravel and limestone are placed over the surrounding area as a symbol indicating the burial location. The funeral rites of this nature were common in the late Ice Age and the Early Flood (Bellwood 1997).

Later, about 1,000 years later, or about 12,000 years ago (Rasmi Choosongdet 2545b:18), the area above the tomb at the archaeological site of Pha Tham Lod is still used as a burial site. The burial style was different from the previous era. It is characterized by burial by burial in the supine position. The portion of the offering that was placed beside the skeleton was stone shards. animal bone fragments and shells

Determination of age by scientific method

age determination by scientific method Twelve carbon-14 samples and 7 thermoluminescence methods were described as follows (Rasami Choosongdet et al. 2007a; Chavalit White Green 2003)

1. Carbon-14 age determination of 12 samples at Beta Analytic Inc., USA laboratories, divided into 3 radiocarbon and 9 AMS samples.

2. Thermoluminescence method, 7 samples were soils in excavation sites 2 and 3, analyzed by Chawalit Khaokhiew and Prof. Dr.Isao Takashima at Research Institute of Material and Resources, Faculty of Engineer and ResearchScience, Akita University, Japan

The study found that

1. No. 1 scaffold, 50 cm deep from the current soil surface (assuming level 190-196 cm.dt.), age 12,100±60 years ago (BP) (Beta-168223)

2. Skeleton number 2, 80 cm deep from the present soil surface (assuming level 210-234 cm.dt.), was determined to be 13,640±80 years ago (BP) (Beta-168224)

3. Shells from the fictitious layer 21 were determined to be 22,190±160 years ago (BP) (Beta-17226)

4. Shells from hypothetical layer 28 were age 16,750±70 years ago (BP) (Beta-17227)

5. Sediment at the junction between the 2nd and 3rd sedimentation layer, the 3rd excavation area, the age of 9,980±120 years ago

All age configuration results Organized in the late Pleistocene (22,190-10,000 ปีมาแล้ว) และสมัยโฮโลซีนตอนต้น (ประมาณ 9,800 ปีมาแล้ว) แสดงว่ามีการเริ่มใช้พื้นที่ของมนุษย์ในบริเวณพื้นที่นี้มาไม่น้อยไปกว่า 22,000 ปีมาแล้ว