5. RASMI SHOOCONGDEJ, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079 USA

I am interested in the theoretical issues surrounding hunter-gatherer mobility in seasonal tropical environments. Very little is known about human adaptation to the tropics in Southeast Asia. The objective of my research is to increase our understanding of the interaction between humans and their environments in tropical Southeast Asia. Specifically, the research focuses on a study of mobility organization of hunter-gatherers as one mechanism of adaptation.

The research concentrates on a specific aspect of a general mobility strategy model, and focuses on the relationship between seasonality and mobility strategy in highly seasonal tropical environment. Previous research has shown that the mobility patterns of hunter-gatherers are closely tied to resource structure. An understanding of this relationship helps to explain adaptive processes within the context of subsistence and settlement systems. A theoretical framework has been developed based on general ecological principles and published anthropological studies of hunter-gatherer mobility. These studies will be directed towards investigating change in subsistence patterns, particularly as reflected in prehistoric settlement systems in the Lower Khwae Noi basin, Kanchanaburi, Western Thailand.

When I was in Thailand. I carried out archaeological research on prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies during the post-Pleistocene period in Lower Khwae Noi basin. The goals of the research include

1. the establishment of cultural sequences for a portion of Lower Khwae Noi Basin, and
2. the study of mobility organization of hunter-gatherers as one mechanism of adaptation in tropical environments.

In April-May, 1989 I conducted an intensive, systematic surface survey of 225 sq.km. in the Lower Khwae Noi basin, and in March-May, 1990 I conducted test excavations in two different ecological zones: a cave in the limestone uplands and an open-air site in the alluvial lowlands. Laboratory analyses were conducted at Silpakorn University with the assistance of my students and professional colleagues from various fields. At present, the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data are being conducted at the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.

My research will contribute to our understanding of hunter-gatherer adaptations and culture change during the post-Pleistocene period. First, it will establish a cultural sequence for a poorly known region. Second, it will add to our understanding of the interactions between humans and the environment in tropical Southeast Asia. Third, it will increase our knowledge of Southeast Asian prehistory. Finally, it will contribute to the general anthropological study of hunter-gatherer adaptations by emphasizing how mobility strategies are used to adapt to seasonal tropical environments.

In addition to my interest in mobility organization, I plan to pursue future research on the socio-economic organization of hunter-gatherer and horticultural groups inhabiting the region addressing the issues of plants domestication, sedentism, and the interaction between hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists. I plan to explore these issues by conducting a long-term regional research project which is an extension of my previous research in Lower Khwae Noi basin. I will also provide advanced field and laboratory training for both undergraduate and graduate students from Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia.