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