Tropical Forager Palaeoecology at the Tràng An Landscape Complex: Investigating Variability in Prehistoric Landscape Use and Mobility Strategies through Lithic Analysis and Geochemical Sourcing Methods

Abstract: The SUNDASIA Project is investigating how prehistoric hunter-gatherers adapted to climate-change related coastal inundation at the Tràng An Landscape Complex (Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam). My research involves exploring these adaptations through the lens of lithic analysis. At Tràng An, stone tool assemblages are characterized by simple stone tools, the large majority of which are made of locally sourced limestone. However, a small but significant component of each assemblage is made from igneous river cobbles (primarily basalt) which are not found in Tràng An or the immediate surrounding area. My research combines attribute analysis and geochemical sourcing methods to shed light on patterns of land use, mobility, and raw material economy in prehistoric northern Vietnam with a particular focus on behavioral adaptations to climate-change related environmental instability.