South-East-Asian-Center

Southeast Asian Center of Origin

Climate of Southeast Asia

• Generally tropical climate

  • Includes wet and dry seasons, rainforests, and monsoons

• Subtropical climate found in Northern Vietnam and Myanmar

Geographic Regions

1. Maritime Southeast Asia

   • Countries include: Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor, and Brunei

2. Mainland Southeast Asia (Indochina)

   • Countries include: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and West Malaysia

Plants Originating from Southeast Asia

• Cereals and Legumes: Wet and Dry-land rice, Job’s tears, Velvet Bean

• Fruits: Citrus fruits, Banana, Breadfruit

• Oils, Sugars, and Tubers: Coconut, Sugarcane, Taro, Yams

• Others: Abaca

Archaeobotany in Southeast Asia

• Floatation Method: Technique for recovering animal bones, seeds, and cultural remains from soil

• Limited success in archaeological sites due to:

  • Poor preservation of organic material in tropics (extreme humidity, exposure to weathering)

  • Lower density of macro-remains compared to drier environments

Origin of Agriculture in Southeast Asia

• Believed to have started with slash-and-burn cultivation

• Wet field cultivation likely introduced later through migrations

Early Inhabitants of Southeast Asia

• Austronesians: Ancestors of the Maritime Southeast Asian region and Oceania

• Austroasiatics: Ancestors of Mainland Southeast Asian region

• New Guineans: Show linguistic evidence of being earliest inhabitants

Early Agriculturists in New Guinea (Evidence >6,000 y.a.)

• Drainage of swamps and shifting cultivation of tubers on surrounding slopes

Theories on the Origin of Modern Day Southeast Asians

1. Out of Taiwan

   • Migration of Austronesians from East Asia to Taiwan and Maritime Southeast Asia

2. Out of Sundaland

   • Sundaland as the cradle of Asian population due to significant land exposure during the Last Glacial Maximum

Overview of Sundaland

• Existed over 15,000 years ago

• Exposed land included Gulf of Thailand and neighboring regions

• Supported by geomorphological, biogeographical, palynological, and vegetation evidence

Migration through Sundaland

• Possible ‘savanna corridor’ for human migration indicated by sediment evidence

• Migration routes traced back 45,000 to 60,000 years (BP)

Origins out of Taiwan - China

• Spread of agricultural lifestyle around 5,500 BP through southeast China and Taiwan

Language Families in Mainland Southeast Asia

• Highly diverse linguistic landscape

• Austroasiatic languages are among the earliest with others like Mon, Khmer, and Vietnamese emerging later

Austronesian Dispersal Across Southeast Asia and Pacific

• Colonization phases show agriculture developing independently in regions like New Guinea

• Migration patterns lead to spread through the Philippines, Indonesia, and beyond

Evidence from Archaeological Sites

Spirit Cave (Thailand)

• Excavated by Chester Gorman in 1966

• Occupied by hunters from 11,500 to 7,500 BP

• Evidence of various tree crops and vegetables

Lie Siri and Uai Bobo Caves (East Timor)

• Dating as much as 14,000 BP

• Fire use and various crops like candle nut and maize found

Site Findings Summary

• Numerous archaeological sites indicate various techniques like flotation and sieving used for recovery of plant remains

• Findings include rice tempered pottery and evidence of agricultural practices across multiple regions

Plants Originating from Southeast Asia - Details

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

• Centre of origin: Malaysia/Indonesia

• Evidence includes fossils dating back millions of years

• Dissemination occurred via boats

• Domestication across Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa, and Latin America

Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

• Centre of origin: Malaysia, India

• Human-assisted dissemination

• Domestication across various regions including Nigeria and China

Yams (Dioscorea sp.)

• Originated from Indonesia/Southeast Asia

• Carried by humans to different regions over time

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

• Origin: Various regions including Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia

• Dispersal linked to Polynesian migrations

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)

• Origin: Papua New Guinea, Polynesia

• Spread to various regions due to migration properties

Rice (Oryza sativa)

• Key evidence from fossils and genetic samples points to Southeast Asia as a major area of domestication

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan)

• Originated in India and West Africa, disseminated to various regions

Mungbean (Vigna radiata)

• Origin: Indian subcontinent

• Introduced widely across southeastern regions

Citrus Species

• Origin: Australia and Southeast Asia

• First disseminated from Malay regions to the west

Banana (Musa sp.)

• Origin: Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea

• One of the most widely domesticated fruits across regions

Abaca (Musa textilis)

• Originated in the Philippines

• Important fiber plant disseminated regionally

References

• A comprehensive list of scholarly articles and texts was cited for information sources, encompassing studies on the origins and distribution of Southeast Asian crops and linguistic heritage.