Iron and fire: geoarchaeological history of a Khmer peripheral center during the decline of the Angkorian Empire, Cambodia

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dc.contributor.authorHall, Ten_AU
dc.contributor.authorPenny, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorHendrickson, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorCooke, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHua, Qen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-23T04:28:48Zen_AU
dc.date.available2016-03-23T04:28:48Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2016-04-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2016-03-23en_AU
dc.description.abstractPreah Khan of Kompong Svay (Preah Khan) was a vast peripheral outpost of the Angkorian Khmer Empire, managed with either strong influence from the capital or semi-autonomously between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. It is believed to have held significant economic importance to the Angkorian elite given its assumed trade partnerships with the neighbouring Kuay hill tribes as well as its proximity to Phnom Dek, or “Iron Mountain”, one of Cambodia's richest known sources of iron oxide. However, the dating of a number of iron metallurgy sites found within the complex placed the heaviest period of industrial activity between the 13th and 17th centuries AD — during the decline of the Angkorian period and beyond into Cambodia's Middle Period. In this paper we present a more extensive record of occupation and use of the site, using a series of geoarchaeological and geochemical records, and show that occupation likely occurred in three stages (Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3). We suggest that in Stage 1 Preah Khan was initially established as a politico-religious expression of power in this strategically important region, and during this time maintained a small, non-industrial population. By the mid-late 14th century AD (Stage 2) macrocharcoal levels increase suggesting that Preah Khan's purpose may have shifted as it became increasingly occupied or utilised for iron smelting activity, before it was finally abandoned in Stage 3, approximately half a century before the supposed abandonment of Angkor. An important question raised from this transition is whether the increased activity in the later phase represents a new wave of Khmer occupants or parasitic occupation of an abandoned temple complex by neighbouring forest-based minority groups. These results highlight the benefit of using geoarchaeological approaches in reconstructing the histories of Angkorian settlements and in increasing our understanding of the response of Khmer peripheral cities to the abandonment of the capital. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationHall, T., Penny, D., Hendrickson, M., Cooke, C., & Hua, Q. (2016). Iron and fire: geoarchaeological history of a Khmer peripheral center during the decline of the Angkorian Empire, Cambodia. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 6: 53-63. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.01.028en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc6505en_AU
dc.identifier.issn2352-409Xen_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Archaeological Science: Reportsen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination53-63en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.01.028en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/6637en_AU
dc.identifier.volumeReport 6en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectArchaeologyen_AU
dc.subjectCambodiaen_AU
dc.subjectCharcoalen_AU
dc.subjectMetallurgyen_AU
dc.subjectGeochemistryen_AU
dc.subjectIronen_AU
dc.titleIron and fire: geoarchaeological history of a Khmer peripheral center during the decline of the Angkorian Empire, Cambodiaen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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