Pre-fourteenth Century Settlement Patterns in the Lower Batanghari, Jambi Province, Sumatra

Abstract

Complex societies had emerged in southeast Sumatra by at least the seventh century A.D. These were Srivijaya and Melayu-Jambi, polities with centres in the lower Musi and Batanghari respectively (Fig. 1, inset). Historical and archaeological material, however, indicate that the region was already in contact with India from at least the early centuries A.D. (Bellina and Glover 2004, Wolters 1967). While the importance of maritime trade, especially with China, is relatively well discussed, we know little of the origins and nature of these societies. Archaeological research has focused mainly on: epigraphy, iconography of Hindu-Buddhist art and architecture; long-distance maritime trade; and more recently, cultural resource management concerns (see Miksic 1995). This research presents results of a full-coverage survey of the lower Batanghari basin. Its primary objective is to isolate patterns that can inform on pre-fourteenth century settlement system. A second aim is to evaluate the utility of surveys in an environment such as the lower Batanghari. Regional surveys have generally been in arid and semiarid areas where archaeological remains tend to be highly visible, namely the American southwest and the Near East. New World archaeologists have, however, modified and applied such field techniques in heavily vegetated areas with measurable success (e.g., Lightfoot 1986). The project was also a field school for students from Universitas Udayana, Bali, and the National University of Singapore.