The Tham Toh Luang Rock-shelter: A High-Resolution Record of a Holocene Hunter-Gatherer Occupation Site in Southern Thailand

Corentin Bochaton1*, Sirikanya Chantasri1, Arnaud Lenoble2, Caroline Partiot3, Jane Carlos4, Nadine Tisnérat-Laborde5, Supalak Mithong1, Sukanya Lertwinitnun6, Papavee Seesod6, Kanyapak Toaheng7, Riczar Fuentes8, Chinnawut Winalayai7, Prasit Auetrakukvit6, and Jutinach Bowonsachoti1,7

The Krabi region is one of the world’s most renowned karstic areas and hosts a rich archaeological record, especially in prehistoric rock-shelter sites. Recently, the Fine Arts Department of Thailand launched research programs to locate and document such sites, resulting in the discovery of Tham Toh Luang – a massive rock shelter with extensive archaeological deposits. Since 2023, the site has been investigated by the French-Thai Prehistoric Mission, a young research group dedicated to fostering collaboration between European and Southeast Asian scholars. Initial investigations have focused on a sector without large boulders, though previously disturbed by sediment collectors. Small test pits were excavated to document the site’s stratigraphy before the start of a larger-scale excavation in 2025. Our work has revealed a massive archaeological accumulation of ashes with many sedimentary layers. The first series of 14C dates indicates that the site was occupied during at least the first half of the Holocene. The stratigraphy also reveals a remarkably rapid sedimentation rate: approximately 10 meters of deposit formed in less than five thousand years. The site contains a rich assemblage of lithic remains and human remains. However, the site’s most distinctive feature is its exceptional abundance of faunal remains, particularly small vertebrates, that are collected through an intensive sieving effort. These findings could significantly reshape our understanding of Hoabinhian subsistence systems in the coming years.