The Origins of the Civilization of Angkor: The Excavation of Ban Non Wat: Introduction

Ban Non Wat is the fourth major excavation undertaken as part of the project, The Origins of the Civilization of Angkor. It is a site of great importance because of its long occupation period, and the very large area opened by excavation over seven seasons of fieldwork. The site was initially occupied by hunter-gatherers, then by Neolithic rice farmers. By 1000 BC, this community began to cast bronzes, and six centuries later, the first iron was being forged. It is possible at to follow the history of a community over a period of about 100 generations. This book describes the site's stratigraphy and chronology, and then covers the mortuary sequence and material culture. It covers the early period of hunter-gatherers, the initial settlement by Neolithic rice farmers, the princely early Bronze Age graves with their outstanding painted ceramic vessels, and the extensive Iron Age cemetery that reveals a remarkable image of the rituals of burial, with its wooden coffins, bimetallic spears, and exotic jewellery.