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Rainfall and circular moated sites in north-east Thailand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2015

Glen Scott  and
Dougald O’Reilly
Dougald O’Reilly
Affiliation:
The Australian National University, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

The existence of moated mounds in the archaeological record of north-east Thailand has long been known, the majority constructed during the earlier first millennium AD. Despite considerable research, the purpose of the substantial and sometimes multiple moats surrounding raised occupation mounds has remained a mystery. Combining locational, hydrological and rainfall data with the archaeological evidence, this study of the moated mounds of the Khorat Plateau seeks to resolve the question through statistical analysis. The results suggest that water storage may have been the primary purpose of the moats, enabling communities to survive dry seasons and droughts.

Keywords

ThailandIron Agemoatrainfallwater managementirrigationstatistical analysis
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 89 , Issue 347 , October 2015 , pp. 1125 - 1138
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015 

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