Early historic landscapes and the rise of centralised states on the Mekong Delta, Cambodia

The Mekong River delta region was a hearth of early state development in SE Asia. Archaeological research at the early historic city of Angkor Borei, Cambodia, is revealing the nature of the cultural landscape, but this information is yet to be articulated with records of change and variability in the 'natural' landscape. Through interdisciplinary research, we will: (i) characterise the region's local and regional environmental variability in the early historic period; and (ii) assess the influence such variability may have had on (a) interrelationships between people and landscapes, and (b) the emergence of early historic centres in the Mekong delta.