Variation in dental morphology in four species of bovids: applications for Southeast Asian archaeology and the Angkor Borei site, Cambodia

Abstract

Current zooarchaeological research in Southeast Asia is hindered by the inability to distinguish between four species of bovid that occur in the region despite the fact that large numbers of their bones are recovered from excavations. Analysis of bovid remains contributes to interpretations of human subsistence practices, paleoenvironment, domestication, and long-distance trade. This research utilizes statistical analyses to help identify which teeth and traits are most diagnostic, when concerned with differences between Bubalus bubalis (water buffalo), Bos javanicis (banteng), Bos gaurus (gaur), and Bos indicus (zebu). The results are applied to a site in Cambodia (Angkor Borei) as a case study in order to begin to shed light on these questions in a Southeast Asian context.