The question of hunter-gatherer territoriality: The case of the Batek of Malaysia

In this paper we hope to make a small additional contribution to the understanding of hunter-gatherer territoriality by describing the social organization, economic activities, and rights to land and resources among the Batek of peninsular Malaysia. The Batek provide an interesting complementary case to the !Kung because they live in a tropical rain forest, where food and water resources are relatively abundant, and because, unlike the !Kung, exchange with outsiders is an important part of their economy. The most striking contrast, however, is that the Batek are not territorial in any of the usual senses of the term.