Traces on the Timber: Uncovering Ancient Thai-Malay Woodworking Practices Through Tool Marks

Sira Ploymukda

This paper outlines a multidisciplinary methodology for identifying unique woodworking patterns from preserved traces, aiming to uncover technological changes in ancient Thai shipbuilding. While actual iron woodworking tools are rarely recovered from archaeological sites in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, the physical scars of these tools remain preserved on boat timbers excavated from ancient port sites. The central question driving this paper is: How can archaeologists understand technological evolution solely through the analysis of these tool marks? To answer this, the research uses traceology and 3D modelling to uncover early Southeast Asian shipbuilding knowledge. By examining timbers from three Thai-Malay shipwrecks (3rd century BCE to 10th century CE), the author conducted reverse 3D measurements on thousands of preserved tool marks. This process extracted precise quantitative data, including mark dimensions, blade sizes, and striking angles. Furthermore, experimental archaeology was heavily utilised to ground this digital data in physical reality. The author created authentic replicas of traditional tools, such as axes, adzes, and chisels and tested them on matching wood species. By comparing the modern marks generated during these controlled experiments with the actual archaeological tool marks, the researcher could accurately infer the mechanics of the original tools, the force applied, and the physical handling postures of the ancient craftsmen. Finally, to bridge the gap between physical evidence and intangible human behaviour, the research integrates historical archives from early Western explorers with modern ethnographic studies of indigenous sea nomads, such as the Moken people.