Landscape Archaeology of the Eastern Phnom Dongrek Range along the Thai-Cambodian Border

Abstract

This study reports on an archaeological study of the relationships between humans and topography in the eastern Phnom Dongrek Range along the Thai-Cambodian border. It covers an area of ​​4,238.5 square kilometers in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand and Preah Vihear province in Cambodia. This study aims to (1) investigate the settlement hierarchy for indicating its archaeological chronology and cultural development, and (2) to study the relationships between settlement patterns, land use patterns, and their topography, which can be suggestive of the cultural patterns in the past. A total of 45 archaeological sites were discovered in the research area. Topography was an important factor affecting human patterns in the past, especially regarding settlements, subsistence patterns, beliefs, and natural resources affecting the technological patterns in the construction of sacred places. Use of the area was distributed according to three different terrains: the mountain slopes and the crest areas in Ubon Ratchathani Province, and the lowlands in Preah Vihear Province. A settlement hierarchy was discovered spanning the period from Iron Age Prehistory and the ancient Khmer and Lan Xang periods.

Throughout the survey area, in terms of density, the archaeological sites located along slopes is the largest, with evidence from the Iron Age and the ancient Khmer and Lan Xang periods, while the least distribution of archaeological sites were found on the crests, with no Lan Xang era sites. Many ancient Khmer temple sites were found in the lowlands in Preah Vihear Province. As expected, the multitude of these Khmer sanctuary sites implies that ancient communities grew in number during the prosperity of the Khmer Empire and the spread of political and cultural significance from the lowlands in the southern part of the Phnom Dongrek Range entering the territory of Thailand through various mountain passes since the 15^th century onwards. Many of these archaeological sites had a wide range of functions as both living spaces and sacred areas.  Additionally, some sites are also used as activity areas or production sites.