City of Koh Ker was occupied for centuries longer than previously thought [Khmer city]

Eurekalert! ^ | October 10, 2018 | PLOS

[SunkenCiv]

Koh Ker was part of the Khmer kingdom during the Angkor period in what is now Cambodia. For a mere two decades in the tenth century CE, the city served as royal capital, and it has long been proposed that after the royal seat moved back to Angkor, the city and its surroundings were abandoned. In this study, Hall and colleagues tested this theory by analyzing charcoal and pollen remains in sediment cores spanning several centuries in three Koh Ker localities, including the moat of the main central temple. From these data, they inferred a long history of fluctuations in fire regimes and vegetation which are highly indicative of patterns of human occupation and land use over time.

The newly-painted picture is of a region that was occupied well before the Angkor period, at least as far back as the late 7th century CE, and continuing seven centuries or more after the royal seat's departure. The authors suggest that the mobility of royal houses may have had less of an impact on regional populations in the Khmer kingdom than previously thought. This study also highlights the utility of palaeoecological tools to reconstruct the occupational history of ancient urban settlements.

Hall adds: "When the environmental record is analyzed, it becomes clear that Koh Ker was much more than a temporary 10th century capital of the Khmer kingdom. The settlement history of the site is extensive and complex, beginning in the pre-Angkor period and lasting for centuries beyond the decline of Angkor."

[SunkenCiv]

These are coring locations across Koh Ker and its surrounds. Background image supplied by Google Earth [Hall et al., 2018 -- Redistribution allowed with credit]

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

One of my biggest disappointments as a graduate student in Anthropology/Archaeology was not being able to get to Angkor Wat or even fly near it due to North Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns surrounding it during the war.

The red bastards stole statues and ornamental works and sold them on the world black market to get money for weapons.

[SunkenCiv]

That might be on my to-do list, but it's not as high as various places around the Med. Still, having been that close and not been able to have a look, that must have been frustrating.

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from August 2018. Thanks ETL.

[Larry Lucido]

Koh Ker Spaniel

Joe Koh Ker

[philippa]

La Koh Ker Acha

[bert]

-——palaeoecological tools -——

Ahhh yes.

There can be anthropological life beyond pottery glaze

[SunkenCiv]

Koh Kerring disorder.

[SunkenCiv]

I’m a Koh Ker, I’m a midnight toker.

[Dr. Ursus]

We went there about four years ago.It’s still an impressive site.