Author: Brandon Rayner
Rayner, Brandon, 2024 The Unsanctified Cow: A Zooarchaeological Analysis of the Longvek Royal Palace, Cambodia, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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Cambodia during the Early Modern period is an area of study which has been largely ignored by archaeologists until recently. Between 2015 and 2019, preliminary investigations of the Cambodia’s first Early Modern capital, the city of Longvek were carried out. These initial excavations at Longvek successfully established that the former capital was once a wealthy hub of international trade and commerce. Also, the location of former Longvek Royal Palace was discovered. While this previous research has primarily focused on the rich assemblages of high value ceramic tradeware excavated from the Royal Palace and other sites across Longvek, these excavations have also uncovered a zooarchaeological assemblage of faunal remains associated with the palace.
This thesis represents the first zooarchaeological investigation of the Cambodian Early Modern period through the analysis of the faunal assemblage of the Longvek Royal Palace. This research is focused on two main areas. The first is to use standard zooarchaeological methods to identify what fauna is present in the assemblage and discuss how it was utilised by the occupants of the Royal Palace. The second area concerns the perception and utilisations of cattle during the Early Modern period and, specifically, Longvek. Historical accounts from the preceeding Angkorian period suggest that cows were neither killed or butchered, instead being used only as beasts of burden or with Hindu rituals through the production of milk and butter. However, the presence of cattle remains in the assemblage from the Longvek Royal Palace shows that during the Early Modern period cows were most certainly being butchered.
This research determined that the occupants of Longvek utilised a wide range of both domestic and wild species of large and medium mammal fauna primarily as a food source. Analysis of this fauna suggests butchery and cooking took place at the palace itself. In regards to the perceptions and utilisation of cattle by the occupants of the palace, it was determined that cows were being butchered and possibly even skinned for leather within the palace grounds. The additional presence of cattle remains at a nearby metallurgy workshop, suggests the butchery of cows was commonplace within Longvek and not limited to only the Royal Palace. The implication of this discovery is that a significant shift in the perception of cows took place sometime in the transition from the Angkorian to Early Modern period. This shift of likely due to the rise of Theravada Buddhism during the Early Modern period, and pressure to utilise these animals as an economic resource due to the focus on trade in this period.
Keywords: Early Modern Period, Zooarchaeology, South East Asia, Cambodia, Archaeology, Longvek, Theravada Buddhism, Khmer, Angkor, cattle
Subject: Archaeology thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2024
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Martin Polkinghorne