Ochre use in burial practices in Thailand, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age

Abstract

This study of red ochre in mortuary contexts in Neolithic to Iron Age sites in Thailand reveals regional and temporal variation. Used extensively at Neolithic Khok Phanom Di, often as body paint, the material was absent at contemporaneous inland sites. Its reappearance in the Bronze Age signalled a symbolic shift in practice, with pieces of ochre incorporated into elaborate funerary rituals. These patterns suggest differing cultural origins and evolving rituals. By the Iron Age, ochre use declined, coinciding with the spread of new mortuary ideologies. The authors highlight how ochre is a powerful marker of identity, belief and cultural change.