A Review of Bioarcheological Investigations in Iron Age Cambodia

ABSTRACT Archeological research within Cambodia is quite extensive, with significant projects led by both Cambodian archeologists and international researchers alike. Many of these projects have uncovered human skeletal remains. This article reviews archeological human skeletal studies in Cambodia, synthesizing published and unpublished data, primarily from the Iron Age (500 bce –500 ce ) across Angkor and the northwest and southeast regions. This synthesis includes discussions of demography, stature and enamel hypoplasia, dental health, diet, skeletal trauma, migration, and infectious diseases. The demographic data are limited, with sex, age at death, and stature often not estimated for individuals because of the fragmentary nature of the remains and the lack of specific population metric methods. Current data show no correlation between stature and enamel hypoplasia. Dental health appears to have declined in Iron Age Cambodia compared to earlier periods across Southeast Asia. A notably high prevalence of perimortem sharp and blunt force trauma, mostly to the head, was observed in the northwest region. Because of the poor preservation of the remains, pathological lesions were infrequently observed. Further bioarcheological research in Cambodia is recommended to enable a full understanding of the health and lifestyle of past populations. Understanding the relationship between general patterns across time and place in a broader context will be important in the next stage of research. This review also highlights the importance of local bioarcheological researchers and research education—these are the researchers who will be crucial to developing bioarcheology in Cambodia.