via Le Monde, 21 April 2024: Christophe Pottier, a seasoned archaeologist with the Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient, spent 18 years studying Angkor, shedding light on its evolution from a sixth-century capital to a major urban center until the 16th century. His work reveals that Angkor, often described as a “big garden,” has been occupied for over 3,000 years, including significant prehistoric settlements.
Now in charge of the Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the archaeologist worked for 18 years at Angkor, focusing on the site’s urban occupants and its cartography.
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In addition to having been occupied in prehistoric times, the Angkor site has been used for at least 2,500 to 3,000 years: In 2004 and 2005, a Bronze Age necropolis was found and, some 20 years ago, I also excavated an Iron Age necropolis dating back some 2,000 years. The first Brahmanic and Buddhist settlements in the region were established in the fifth century and, very quickly, a first capital, which did not last, was established at Angkor in the sixth century. So there are traces to show that Angkor was already a capital site from the sixth century onward, and remained so almost until the 16th century. As a result, we have around a thousand years of human, urban occupation associated with monumental elements.
Source: Christophe Pottier, archaeologist: ‘Angkor must have looked like a big garden’
