Tham Lod Overhang - MH0269
19.567307,98.279008
Location
In the grounds of Tham Lod Nature Education Centre at the base of cliffs 100 m south-south-west of the car park and 300 m north of the upstream entrance to Tham Lod.
Description
A signboard at the site gives background information on the excavation findings at this 7 x 20 m rock shelter. Visitors are requested to stay outside of the roped area - this is for their safety as the flimsy boards cover a 4 m deep pit. The archaeological dig has uncovered evidence that the site was used by prehistoric people over a very long time period stretching back more than 13,000 years BP. The most exciting discovery was two human skeletons which appear to have been buried and are 12,000 and 13,640 years old. The first skeleton was in a lying position 50cm below the surface, whilst the second, older, one was found 30cm lower in a crouched position, like the skeleton found in Ban Rai. An incredible quantity of river pebbles was unearthed in a layer over 2m thick. Over 100,000 flakes and stone tools of the Hoabinhian type have been identified, including sumatraliths, short axes and choppes. Similar tools from Chester Gorman's excavation at Spirit Cave wre dated 7,500-12,000 BP. A large number of stone flakes were found along with the tools, suggesting that this was a prehistoric 'factory' where the tools were manufactured. The abundance of shells and animal bones, such as deep and wild cattle, indicate that the site was also used for habitation at least in the earlier periods. Pottery, blue glass beads and even a Victorian coin were found in the more recent upper layers, but have not been dated.
Documents
Bibliography 01/07/2020- +Amphansri, A. (2011) "Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Fau¼nal Remains from Tham Lod Rockshelter Site, Pang Mapha District, Mae Hong Son Province" MA thesis, Silpakorn University, unpublished ******Chaimanee, Yaowalak (2013) "Vertebrate Records. Late Pleistocene of Southeast Asia" in Elias, Scott A.; Mock, Cary (eds.) "Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science", Second Edition, ISBN 9780444536433 pp693-699 +Chitkament, Thanon; Gaillard, Claire; Shoocongdej, Rasmi (2015) "Tham Lod Rockshelter (Pang Mapha district, north-western Thailand): Evolution of the lithic assemblages during the late Pleistocene" Quaternary International Issue 416 pp151-161 +Conrad, Cyler (2015) "Archaeozoology in Mainland Southeast Asia: Changing Methodology and Pleistocene to Holocene Forager Subsistence Patterns in Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia" Open Quaternary Vol. 1 Article 7, 23pp +Conrad, Cyler (2016) "Ethnographic analogy and the archaeological record of Northern Thailand: Insights from Mlabri hunter-gatherers and the Tham Lod Rockshelter archaeofauna" Rian Thai International Journal of Thai Studies Vol. 9 pp71-96 +Hayes, Susan; Shoocongdej, Rasmi; Pureepatpong, Natthamon; Sangvichien, Sanjai; Chintakanon, Kanoknart (2017) "A Late Pleistocene woman from Tham Lod, Thailand: the influence of today on a face from the past" Antiquity Vol. 91 Issue 356 pp289-303 +Imdirakphol, Sunisa; Zazzo, Antoine; Auetrakulvit, Prasit; Tiamtinkrit, Chaturaporn; Pierret, Alain; Forestier, Hubert; Zeitoun, ValÚry (2017) "The perforated stones of the Doi Pha Kan burials (Northern Thailand): A Mesolithic singularity?" Comptes Rendus Palevol Vol. 16 No. 3 pp351-361 +Khaokhiew, Chaowalit (2003) "Site formation processes of Tham Lod Rockshelter, Pang Ma Pha District, Mae Hong Son Province" MA thesis, Silpakorn University, 164p ***Marwick, Ben (2018) "The Hoabinhian of Southeast Asia and its relationship to regional Pleistocene lithic technologies" in Robinson, Erick; Sellet, Frederic (Eds.) "Lithic Technological Organization and Paleoenvironmental Change Global and Diachronic Perspectives". Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation, Vol. 9, Springer International Publishing, pp63-78, ISBN 978-3-319-64405-9, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-64407-3 +Marwick, Ban; Vlack, Hannah G. van; Conrad, Cyler; Shoocongdej, Rasmi; Thongcharoenchaikit, Cholawit; Kwak, Seungki (2017) "Adaptations to sea level change and transitions to agriculture at Khao Toh Chong rockshelter, Peninsular Thailand" Journal of Archaeological Science Vol. 77 DOI 10.1016/j.jas.2016.10.010 pp94-108 +Pumijumnong, Nathsuda; Wannasri, Sineenart (2015) "Teak log coffins in Northwest Thailand: Dated by dendrochronology and 14Cwiggle matching" Applied Environmental Research Vol. 37 No. 2 pp1-16 +Santos, Gisele (2015) "Magnificent Tham Lod Cave sheds light on earliest humans in Thailand" Ancient Origins 9 November 2015 www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/magnif… +SATTHA, CHEEWIN (2008) "Preserving The Past" Bangkok Post 1 March 2008 +Shoocongdej, Rasmi (2006) "Late Pleistocene activities at the Tham Lot rockshelter in highland Pang Mapha, Mae Hong Son province, northwesternThailand" In Bacus, E.; Glover, I.; Pigot, V. (Eds.) "Uncovering Southeast AsiaÆs Past" Singapore University Press pp. 22û37 +Shoocongdej, Rasmi (2010) "Archaeological Heritage Management at Ban Rai and Tham Lod Rockshelters in Pang Mapha District, Mae Hong Son Province, Northwestern Thailand" Final Report 14pp +SHOOCONGDEJ, RASMI; ET AL. (2000b) "Archaeology" in "An Exploration and Database System of Caves: Mae Hong Son Province" Vol. 4. Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok +SIDISUNTHORN, PINDAR; GARDNER, SIMON; SMART, DEAN (2006) "Caves of Northern Thailand" River Books, Thailand, ISBN 9749863135 +Srimanlee, Kanin (2017) "Following an ancient trail" Bangkok Post 6 June 2017 +SVASTI, PICHAYA (2008) "Digging Up The Past" Bangkok Post Outlook 4 September 2008 +Svasti, Pichaya (2016) "Legacy of early man" Bangkok Post 30 June 2016 +Tan, Noel Hidalgo (2016) "Elephants in Southeast Asian Rock Art: An Overview" in "Asian Elephants in Culture and Nature" (eds) Manatunga, Anura; Chamara, K.A.T.; Wickramaarachchi, Thilina; de Zoysa, Harini Navoda, Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. ISBN 978-955-4563-84-1, pp367-374 ***Wattanapituksakul, Athiwat; Filoux, Arnaud; Shoocongdej, Rasmi; Amphansri, Anusorn; Tumpeesuwan, Sakbaworn (2018) "Late Pleistocene Caprinae assemblages of Tham Lod Rockshelter (Mae Hong Son Province, Northwest Thailand)" Quaternary International Vol. 493 pp 212-226 DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2018.06.003 ***Wipatayotin, Apinya (2018) "Finding common ground" Bangkok Post 11 February 2018
History
The rock shelter was discovered by John Spies. A major excavation by a team from Silpakorn University was undertaken from 2002 to 2006. In October 2006 the US Anbassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation made a 1.3 million baht grant to Rasmi Shoocondej of Silpakorn University to support research at this site.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | Tham Lod - MH0001 | 1666 | 20 |
| 0.8 | Tham Hair - MH0159 | 100 | 0 |
| 1.0 | Cave MH0002 - MH0002 | ||
| 1.3 | Big Knob Cave [MH0324] | ||
| 1.6 | Tham Nam Hu - MH0246 | 410 | 10 |
| 1.7 | Cave MH0024 - MH0024 | ||
| 1.8 | Tham Ban Tham North - MH0034 | 20 | 0 |
| 1.8 | Coffin Cave MH0022 - MH0022 | 10 | 0 |
| 2.0 | Coffin Cave MH0023 - MH0023 |