Reimagining the City of Fire and Iron: A landscape archaeology of the Angkor-Period Industrial Complex of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, Cambodia (ca. 9th to 13th centuries A.D.)

A groundbreaking study challenges conventional views of the Preah Khan of Kompong Svay complex, revealing it as more than just a military outpost or industrial center during the Angkor period (9th to 13th centuries A.D.). Using remote sensing and comprehensive ground surveys, researchers produced the first detailed archaeological map of the site, uncovering its multifaceted role in Khmer imperial dynamics. This research sheds new light on early urbanism, industrial production, and regional governance within the vast Khmer Empire, which once spanned much of mainland Southeast Asia. The findings suggest a more complex and integrated function for this remote monumental center than previously understood.

Hendrickson, M., & Evans, D. (2015). Reimagining the City of Fire and Iron: A landscape archaeology of the Angkor-Period Industrial Complex of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, Cambodia (ca. 9th to 13th centuries A.D.). Journal of Field Archaeology, 40(6), 644–664. https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2015.1105034