Abstract
Archaeological evidence demonstrates that molluscs, either as unworked or worked artefacts, have been deposited in burial settings as objects which speak to secular or various philosophical, religious or cosmological concerns. Those molluscs imbued with secular or cosmological significance are identified and selected with reference to the specific behaviour, characteristics or qualities of the mollusc itself within a given society’s socio-cultural belief system. This paper examines data from mainland Southeast Asia to explore the distribution and potential significance of Unionidae bivalves in human burials from a range of large, later prehistoric burial sites. This family of bivalves was important in the mortuary tradition of the region from the Neolithic through to Iron Age, especially during the Bronze Age.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | JOURNAL OF INDO-PACIFIC ARCHAEOLOGY |
| Volume | 41 |
| Early online date | 31 Dec 2016 |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Bibliographical note
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe wish to acknowledge our gratitude to Dr Richard Willan, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Professor C. Higham and Dr P. Piper for providing advice
on molluscan taxon under review. Funding for this research was provided by the Vice-Chancellor and the College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University and, in part, from an Australian Future Fellowship Research Grant, FT120100299.