“PLEASE PASS THE SALT” – AN ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF SALT AND SALT FERMENTED FISH PRODUCTION, USE AND TRADE IN NORTHEAST THAILAND 1 2,3 3 Andrea Yankowski , Puangtip Kerdsap and Nigel Chang 1Independent Researcher, United States, 2Kasetsart University, 3James Cook University
[email protected],
[email protected] &
[email protected] ABSTRACT: cation among family or community members. Food Northeast Thailand is known for salt production, both rationing or food redistribution can be a social tactic for today and in the past. Prehistoric salt sites are found maintaining hierarchical relationships and statuses, or throughout the region and ethnographic and historical reinforcing group or social identities or differences. data demonstrate the importance of salt as a commodi- These topics have been well studied by anthropologists ty, as well as for preserving and fermenting fish. This (Dirks and Hunter 2013; Mintz and du Bois 2002), and paper explores the archaeology and cultural history of to a lesser extent by archaeologists (Enrique-Alegria salt and salt fermented fish products in Northeast Thai- 2012; Junker and Niziolek 2010; Twiss 2007; Twiss land and the Greater Mekong Delta region. Using ar- 2012). chaeological, historical and ethnographic data, it ad- This paper examines the importance of salt and salt dresses how the foods we eat and our preparation fermented fish products in the cultural foodways of methods can be deeply rooted in our cultural history Northeast Thailand and the greater Mekong Delta. Us- and identity, and discusses the ways in which they can ing an ethnoarchaeological approach, it examines con- be studied in the archaeological record to learn about temporary foodways among rural subsistence farmers in the past.