The contribution of early Southeast Asian material to a global understanding of portable art

Abstract

Until recently, the material culture record of Southeast Asia rarely attracted more than a passing mention in debates concerning early portable art. Recent findings from numerous archaeological excavations and museum studies, however, have highlighted the importance of this region for understanding the development and role of these small items in the earliest Modern Human communities. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the portable art recovered from pre-Neolithic contexts in Southeast Asia and outline its place in the global context.