Swidden Agriculture

 By 2000 B.C.E, the Malay peoples in Southeast Asia had begun practicing swidden agriculture. This type of farming begins by slashing and burning a plot of land to prepare it for agricultural use. Once the farmer is done using this land, he switches to a new area and begins the process again. Eventually, his original land will regrow again, and he can return. Once again, he goes about the process of burning and weeding his field. As you can see, this was a constant cycle for the Malay peoples. Even today, swidden agriculture is the dominant form of farming in Southeast Asia.

Click here for details on the processes of Swidden Agriculture.

Newly burnt land