Urbanism and Residential Patterning in Angkor

The Khmer Empire (9th–15th centuries a.d.), centered on the Greater Angkor region, was the most extensive political entity in the history of mainland Southeast Asia. Stone temples constructed by Angkorian kings and elites were widely assumed to have been loci of ritual as well as habitation, though the latter has been poorly documented archaeologically. In this paper, we present the results of two field seasons of excavation at the temple site of Ta Prohm. Using LiDAR data to focus our excavations, we offer evidence for residential occupation within the temple enclosure from before the 11th century a.d. until the 14th century. A comparison with previous work exploring habitation areas within the Angkor Wat temple enclosure highlights similarities and differences between the two temples. We argue that temple habitation was a key component of the Angkorian urban system and that investigating this unique form of urbanism expands current comparative research on the diversity of ancient cities.     

Differentiating Khmer Stoneware Production: An NAA pilot study from Siem Reap Province,Cambodia

We report analytical results for stoneware samples from four excavated Angkor‐period kilns in the Greater Angkor area. Previous work has suggested that establishing distinct chemical signatures for kiln complexes in this region is problematic. The current study highlights the effectiveness of neutron activation analysis (NAA) for differentiating the products of Angkorian kiln complexes; it also confirms the viability of a larger‐scale research programme to understand the relationship between Khmer stoneware production and patterns of distribution across the wider Angkorian territory. Evidence of ceramics excavated at kiln sites but produced elsewhere highlights the complexity of consumption patterns during the Angkorian period.