This thesis presents the study of health and paleopathology on the prehistoric human skeletal remains from two archaeological sites located in northeast Thailand, Ban Chiang site in Udon Thain Province and Non Nok Tha in Khon Kaen Province. In the transition from the Pre-Metal Age or the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age as a pre-agricultural society, to the intensive agricultural society in the Iron Age by examining varied of the physiological and biological stress indicators. For examples, dental calculus and caries, porotic hyperostosis, degenerative joint disease, infectious disease, and trauma. The results revealed that the two research hypotheses accepted, first, the pre-agricultural population was healthy with the lowest prevalence of skeletal stress indicators. There were some lesions of nutritional anemia presented in the early phrase of both groups. The healed fractures also presented among these groups, and probable consistent with accidental injuries. In addition, the lesions caused by infectious diseases including tuberculosis first appeared in the Late Non Nok Tha.

And secondly, the general health of these populations declined over time like the trend of the others, consistent with the findings indicated that the Non Nok Tha population had declined health in the Late period. Late Non Nok Tha females were increased in stature and had higher prevalence rates of the oral pathology that likely depended on more easier access to food resources than males. In contrast with this hypothesis, the indicators of anemia decreased over time in both populations caused by a result of landscape change, more incidences of genetic anemia or limitations of the research sample. However, there were evidence of increased indicators of stress over time in the regional overview. From the best healthy population of the Early Non Nok Tha to the population of the Late Ban Chiang who had the most deteriorated health.