Diverse Ceramic Technologies in Neolithic Southern Vietnam: The Case of Rach Nui

Abstract

The initial appearance of fine, incised, and impressed ceramics dating to the Neolithic period (4200–3000 B.P.) in southern Vietnam was associated with the emergence and spread of sedentary settlements, cereal agriculture, and new forms of material culture. However, differences existed in contemporary ceramic technologies between sites. This article presents a preliminary characterization of the pottery found at Rach Nui, a habitation site with an economy focused on vegeculture and foraging that was located at the confluence of the Vam Co Dong, Dong Nai, and Vam Co Tay rivers. The rim forms and decorations at Rach Nui are presented alongside a characterization of the tempers and clays from a small sample of sherds using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX). The Rach Nui ceramics are compared to previous studies of pottery from An Son, located upstream on the Vam Co Dong River. The results of the characterization and comparison indicate that Rach Nui potters focused on local production of a limited range of vessels compared to primarily agricultural settlements like An Son. This research on Rach Nui pottery demonstrates that by ca. 3500 B.P., the inhabitants of the various Neolithic settlements of southern Vietnam, and perhaps more broadly across Mainland Southeast Asia, had established their own social and cultural traditions that were reflected in locally specific ceramic technologies.