Building from the Ground Up: The Archaeology of Residential Spaces and Communities in Southeast Asia

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Date

2022-01-27

Authors

Carter, Alison Kyra

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer

Abstract

Despite the ethnographic importance of the Southeast Asian house and household, an explicitly Southeast Asian “household archaeology” is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, archaeologists in Southeast Asia have undertaken excavations within habitation areas and residential spaces, identifying domestic debris, the partial remains of house structures, and activity areas. As a result, archaeologists of Southeast Asia have addressed many topics of relevance to those who use a household archaeology approach, including the identification and description of houses and household activities; the domestic economy; domestic ritual; diversity and variability both within houses as related to questions of identity, specifically gender and age, and between houses, especially as related to status; and identification of supra-household communities. In this review, I consider how archaeologists have addressed these themes using examples from a diverse set of geographic locations and time periods in mainland and island Southeast Asia. I conclude with suggestions for future research directions to continue building an archaeology of residential spaces and communities in Southeast Asia.

Description

54 pages

Keywords

Southeast Asia, Dwelling, House, Village, Community, Residential burial, Craft production

Citation

Carter, A. K. (2021). Building from the Ground Up: The Archaeology of Residential Spaces and Communities in Southeast Asia. Journal of Archaeological Research, 31, 1—54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10814-021-09170-4