Empires of the Southern Ocean: Early Civilizations of Mainland and Insular Southeast Asia

Drawing on recent archaeological and historical research, this book presents the fascinating developments in the archaeology of prehistoric societies of mainland Southeast Asia. Empires of the Southern Ocean offers a sweeping and authoritative account of the emergence, expansion, and transformation of early state-level societies across the regions that today encompass Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.Spanning from the late prehistoric period to the mid-15th century, the book traces the dynamic rise of polities that shaped Southeast Asia's early urban and political landscapes, including the Pyu and Pagan in Myanmar; the entrepôt settlements of peninsular Malaysia; Srivijaya, Sanjaya, and Majapahit in Indonesia; Funan, Chenla, and Angkor in Cambodia; Dvaravati in Thailand; and Linyi, Champa, and Ðai Viet in Vietnam. Drawing on the most current archaeological, epigraphic, and paleoenvironmental research, the book challenges outdated, India-centric narratives a