Long-term Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence Strategies in Southern Thailand: Zooarchaeological Analysis of the Faunal Assemblage from Khao Ta Plai Cave (Chumphon Province)

Sirikanya Chantasri1*, Jutinach Bowonsachoti2,3, Apirat Jaelao3, Sarat Chalawsuntisakul3, Arnaud Lenoble4, and Corentin Bochaton2

The evolution of hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies in Mainland Southeast Asia remains poorly understood. While recent studies have explored the hunting behaviors of Late Pleistocene and early Holocene Hoabinhian groups, most research has focused on sedentary populations from the later Holocene. Nevertheless, hunter-gatherer communities persisted into recent times in certain areas, including southern Thailand, and their archaeological record is only beginning to be systematically investigated. The site of Khao Ta Plai (Chumphon Province, southern Thailand), excavated by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, provides new insights regarding the behaviors of Holocene hunter-gatherer groups. Archaeological materials uncovered from two excavation pits reveal a long occupational chronology across the Late Pleistocene, Neolithic, and Metal Ages. Over 20,000 faunal remains document the long-term evolution of the hunting behaviors of the inhabitants of the site. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic investigations suggest continuous exploitation by humans of wild animals throughout all the stratigraphic layers of the site. While the relative abundances of specific taxa change over time, reptile remains, especially turtles, are predominant in most chronological phases. These findings enable us to clarify how hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies evolved alongside the arrival of new technologies, such as ceramics and metallurgy.