Jar burial tradition in the island southeast asia

The tradition of jar burials is among the most spectacular and most informative burial traditions in the ancient cultures of the island Southeast Asia. Its origin dates back to the Neolithic period (4000-3500 BP) and is connected to the spread of the pottery-making technology in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which provided an alternative to pre-existing burial practices making usage of organic containers and mats. The heyday of jar burial tradition falls on the turn of the eras («Metal Age»), while its single manifestations continued until the colonial period and even modern times. Several local variations of this tradition in island Southeast Asia can be identified based on the distinctive features of burial types, manipulations with skeleton parts, and vessel morphology. In its turn, the burial goods demonstrate close trade-exchange connections with the neighboring territories of inland Southeast Asia and East Asia.