Forest disturbance, arboriculture and the adoption of rice in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysian, Borneo

Samantha Elsie Jones, Chris O. Hunt, Huw Barton, Carol J. Lentfer, Paula J. Reimer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Holocene vegetation records are presented from palaeochannels in the southern Kelabit Highlands, at Pa’Dalih (PDH 212) and at Pa’Buda (BPG), and from a peat bog in the northern Kelabit Highlands, at Bario (Ba). Results are based on changes in the sediment lithology, loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, pollen, phytoliths and other palynomorphs. At Pa’Buda, possible clearance occurred ~6500 cal. BP, perhaps for arboriculture. More pronounced signatures of clearance are at PDH 212 by ~3100 cal. BP, and at Ba by 1300 cal. BP. Propagation/cultivation of the sago palm, Eugeissona, may have been taking place by ~2800 cal. BP at site PDH 212 and was probably taking place by at least 1300 cal. BP at Ba. Rice cultivation may have been taking place between 2800 and 1200 cal. BP at PDH 212, but this remains speculative, due to the morphological features of the Oryza bulliforms, but it was likely taking place at Pa’Dalih by 530–490 cal. BP, where Oryza bulliforms, with characteristics similar to domesticated types are present, and there was a sharp rise in sedimentation, caused by intense burning. At Ba, within the last 600 years, an increase in Palmae phytoliths may signify increasingly intense human impact. In more recent times, both rice and banana cultivation are represented in the phytolith record at Pa’Buda.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1528-1546
Number of pages19
JournalThe Holocene
Volume23
Issue number11
Early online date7 Aug 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2013

Bibliographical note

We would like to thank the Sarawak Forestry Department, Sarawak Museums Service and Kuching Herbarium for permission to carry out fieldwork, the extraction of samples and use of facilities at the Sarawak Herbarium (SAR). We are very grateful to Dr Kit Pearce who assisted in the collection and identification of plants for a modern pollen reference collection, Ipoi Datan from the National Museum of Sarawak, Ulum from Bario and Belaan Paran for their assistance in the collection of modern samples. We thank Reedy in Bario and Henry in Pa’Dalih for their assistance in the field. We would also like to thank everyone from the
AHRC Cultured Rainforest Project for the assistance and support provided in the field: Prof. Graeme Barker, Dr Ian Ewart, Rose Ferraby, Prof. Chris Gosden, Dr Huw Barton, Daniel Britton, Ben Davenport, Dr Monica Janowski, Dr Lindsay Lloyd-Smith, Borbála Nyíri, Beth Upex and Dr Lucy Farr. We thank Dr R. Premathilake, Ron Reimer, Prof. Valerie Hall, Prof. Joanthan Pilcher and Dr Maarten Blaauw for advice, and John Davidson for assistance in some of the laboratory preparations.

Funding
This research was funded by the AHRC.

Keywords

  • cultural
  • disturbance
  • Eugeissona
  • Kelabit Highlands
  • late Holocene
  • Oryza sativa

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Forest disturbance, arboriculture and the adoption of rice in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysian, Borneo'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this