Agro Ecosystem Development Agro Ecosystem Development in Southeast Asiain Southeast Asia

Freidrich Seewald Freidrich Seewald

Lisa Kealhofer’s AnalysisLisa Kealhofer’s Analysis

1) End of Pleistocene: 1) End of Pleistocene: development of new development of new strategies (food strategies (food production) production) responding to change responding to change in resource availability in resource availability

2) Mid-Holocene: 2) Mid-Holocene: formation of agro formation of agro ecosystems as a new ecosystems as a new type of social risk type of social risk

Agriculture production was propagated by 2 distinct events

There is no evidence of environmental change in the mid-Holocene that would have caused changes in farming practices

Cenozoic Time Scale

Kealhofer’s AnalysisKealhofer’s Analysis

VSVS

Kealhofer’s AnalysisKealhofer’s Analysis

Agro ecosystem development was Agro ecosystem development was separate from domestication separate from domestication

Domestication was caused by Domestication was caused by environmental riskenvironmental risk

Agro ecosystems were developed by Agro ecosystems were developed by changing social riskschanging social risks

Social RisksSocial Risks

Group dynamics, Group dynamics, economic, political, economic, political, and religious (food and religious (food tributes) tributes)

Kealhofer’s AnalysisKealhofer’s Analysis

Evidence that early Holocene experienced Evidence that early Holocene experienced increased rainfall and more frequent increased rainfall and more frequent burning (swiddening)burning (swiddening) Both of these suggest increased cultural Both of these suggest increased cultural

management of ecosystems management of ecosystems

Kealhofer’s AnalysisKealhofer’s Analysis

Rainfall amounts and burning frequency Rainfall amounts and burning frequency occurred at different rates in Thailandoccurred at different rates in Thailand

Resulted in regional differences in Resulted in regional differences in development development Central coastal and Northeast- 5000BCECentral coastal and Northeast- 5000BCE Central inland- 3000BCECentral inland- 3000BCE Southern- 2000BCESouthern- 2000BCE

Kealhofer’s Take HomeKealhofer’s Take Home

The spread of agro ecosystems caused The spread of agro ecosystems caused changes in social organization (friction)changes in social organization (friction) New social groupsNew social groups New roles for familiesNew roles for families These may have intensified and moderated These may have intensified and moderated

the frictionthe friction

Dorian Fuller et al.’s AnalysisDorian Fuller et al.’s Analysis

Wet Rice Production and Methane levels Wet Rice Production and Methane levels

Fuller at al.Fuller at al. Wet rice production produces methaneWet rice production produces methane

After 3000BC CH4 began increasing, therefore so did wet rice After 3000BC CH4 began increasing, therefore so did wet rice productionproduction

As rice production increased, per capita land use decreased and As rice production increased, per capita land use decreased and population rosepopulation rose

Fuller et al. Fuller et al.

The beginnings of rice agriculture were in The beginnings of rice agriculture were in the early-middle Holocenethe early-middle Holocene Congruent with Kealhofer’s second eventCongruent with Kealhofer’s second event

Fuller et al.Fuller et al.

Rice domestication came to Southeast Rice domestication came to Southeast Asia from ChinaAsia from China In Thailand Khok Phanom Di 2000BCIn Thailand Khok Phanom Di 2000BC Northeast, Ban Chiang (earlier than Khok Northeast, Ban Chiang (earlier than Khok

Phanom Di)Phanom Di) Majority of early rice fields were in naturally Majority of early rice fields were in naturally

flooding zonesflooding zones

Fuller et al.Fuller et al.

3000-1000 years ago 3000-1000 years ago livestock was livestock was dispersed throughout dispersed throughout Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia

Fuller et al. Take HomeFuller et al. Take Home

Wet rice/livestock Wet rice/livestock spread trend closely spread trend closely fits the Holocene fits the Holocene methane curvemethane curve Increase in wet rice Increase in wet rice

production and the production and the increased increased domestication domestication contributed to the contributed to the increasing methane increasing methane levelslevels