Consumption and exchange in Early Modern Cambodia: NAA of brown-glaze stoneware from Longvek, 15th-17th centuries

Martin Polkinghorne; Catherine Amy Morton; Amy Roberts; Rachel S Popelka-Filcoff; Yuni Sato; Voeun Vuthy; Pariwat Thammapreechakorn; Attila Stopic; Peter Grave; Don Hein; Leng Vitou

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216895

Consumption and exchange in Early Modern Cambodia: NAA of brown-glaze stoneware from Longvek, 15th-17th centuries

PLoS One. 2019 May 13;14(5):e0216895. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216895. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
² College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ Department of Planning and Coordination, The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
⁴ Department of Archaeology and Prehistory, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
⁵ Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., United States of America.
⁶ Reactor Irradiations, Radioisotopes and Radiotracers, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

An evaluation of the geochemical characteristics of 102 storage jar sherds by k0-neutron activation analysis (k0-NAA) from archaeological contexts in Cambodia and reference samples from stoneware production centres in Thailand provides a new perspective on regional and global trade in mainland Southeast Asia. Identification of seven geochemical groups enables distinctions between production centres, and articulation of their role in trade between northern and central Thailand, South China and Cambodia. Storage jars from Thailand and South China are known in archaeological contexts worldwide because of their durability and intrinsic functional and cultural values. Evidenced by a novel application of k0-NAA, analogous stoneware sherds at Longvek connect the Cambodian capital to a global trading network. Additional proof of ceramics from an undocumented Cambodian kiln demonstrates the gradual and complex transition between the Angkorian past and the Early Modern period.

Publication types

Historical Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Archaeology*
Cambodia
Ceramics / history*
Commerce / history*
History, 15th Century
History, 16th Century
History, 17th Century
Humans

Grants and funding

Funding for this study was provided by the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (www.arc.gov.au, DE150100756) - MP, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (www.ansto.gov.au, Proposal Number NA10306) - MP, CAM, AR, RSP-F, PG, AS. Martin Polkinghorne is an Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Sydney. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.