Angkor and the Khmer Civilization

by Michael D. Coe, Damian Evans

Overview

An authoritative survey of Angkor and the Khmer civilization which incorporates revelations from new discoveries in the past decade that are rewriting history.

The ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia has fascinated scholars and visitors alike since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century. All are wonderstruck by the beauty and multiplicity of the sculptures that adorn its temples and structures and are overwhelmed by the sheer size of Angkor. There is nothing to equal it in the archaeological world.

A great deal was already known about the history of Angkor and the brilliant Khmer civilization that built it thanks to pioneering work by archaeologists and scholars, but our knowledge has now been completely revolutionized by cutting-edge technology. Airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) has revealed entire cities that were previously unknown and a complex urban landscape with highways and waterways, profoundly transforming our interpretations of the development and supposed decline of Angkor.

In this comprehensive edition of Angkor and the Khmer Civilization, respected archaeologist Michael Coe is joined by Damian Evans, who led this remarkable program of scientific exploration, to present the results and implications of these groundbreaking discoveries that are rewriting history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500295588
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	10/15/2024
Edition description:	Second
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael D. Coe was professor emeritus of anthropology at Yale University and curator emeritus for the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. His books include The Maya, Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, and Breaking the Maya Code.

Damian Evans was the founding director of the University of Sydney's Overseas Research Center at Siem Reap-Angkor and a research fellow at the École Française d'Extreme-Orient (EFEO).

Table of Contents

	Preface	7
	Chronological Table	10
1	Introduction	11
	The age of 'discovery'	12
	The Mekong Exploration Commission	14
	The age of EFEO	16
	The ancient Khmer Empire	17
	The rebirth of Khmer archaeology	18
	Periods	19
2	The Setting	21
	The Lower Mekong Basin	21
	The regions	23
	Flora and fauna	27
	Rice: the Khmer staff of life	29
3	Peoples and Languages	33
	Cambodian genesis	33
	The peopling of Southeast Asia	33
	Languages: the big picture	34
	The Khmer language	38
	Writing	39
	Who are the Khmer?	40
4	The Khmer Before History	43
	Hunters and gatherers	43
	The Early Farming period	45
	The diffusion of rice and village life	46
	Iron Age chiefdoms (c. 500 BC to c. AD 200-500)	48
	The circular earthworks puzzle	49
	The 'red soils' earthworks	50
	Rock paintings	54
	The Khmer before the great transformation	55
5	Winds of Change: The Early Kingdoms Period	57
	'Funan' and 'Zhenla'	57
	The Delta chiefdoms	61
	Hands across the sea	62
	Indianization	63
	Oc Eo and early maritime contacts	64
	From chiefdoms to kingdoms	68
	Angkor Borei	70
	Sambor Prei Kuk	73
	Banteay Prei Nokor	75
	Wat Phu	76
	The bronzes of Prakhon Chai	78
	Special section: Hinduism	76
	Special section: Buddhism	85
6	The Classic Angkor Period: From Kingdom to Empire	97
	The founding of the Khmer Empire	97
	Special section: Dynastic succession in Cambodia	100
	Hariharalaya: a proto-Angkor	101
	The 'Glory-bearing City': the founding of Angkor	102
	Interlude at Koh Ker	107
	Disruption and rebirth	109
	Special section: Banteay Srei	110
	'Protected by the Sun': the triumph of Suryavarman	112
	The Baphuon and the building of Phimai	114
	Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat	116
	Special section: Angkor Wat	117
	Disaster	122
	Rebirth of the empire: Jayavarman VII	122
	Reaction and iconoclasm	128
	On the eve	130
7	The Life and Culture of Classic Angkor	131
	The sources	131
	The divisions of Classic Khmer society	133
	Administration of the city and empire	135
	Law and order in ancient Angkor	144
	The economy	145
	Communications and transportation	151
	Architecture and the building trade	155
	Arts and crafts	158
	Daily life in ancient Angkor	173
	Entertainment and the performing arts	179
	Classic Khmer ritual life	183
	Warfare and the military	185
	Thought and culture in Classic Angkor	188
	Angkor: city and state	191
8	The Post-Classic Period: Decline and Transformation	195
	The collapse of Classic Angkor	196
	The sources	197
	Theravada Buddhism and its meaning for Cambodia	201
	Angkor as a Theravada Buddhist complex	204
	Geopolitics	205
	The course of Post-Classic history	208
	Post-Classic society and administration	213
	Trade and commerce	219
	Post-Classic warfare	219
	The art of the Post-Classic	220
	Mental life in Post-Classic Cambodia	222
	Epilogue	224
	Rulers of the Khmer	225
	Visiting Angkor	226
	Notes to the Text	226
	Further Reading	230
	Sources of Illustrations	234
	Index	235

Editorial Reviews

"A dangerously seductive book: I found myself starting to read it within a few minutes of picking it up, and I couldn't stop until I had reached the last page."

From the Publisher