| Abstract: |
Early Khmer studies revealed the existence of several capitals in Angkor predating the ‘official’ foundation of Yashodarapura in the 9th century CE: Mahendraparvata in the Kulen plateau to the northeast of Angkor, Hariharālaya at Roluos in the southern plain close to the lake, and a previously unrecognised capital centred around Ak Yum, which lies buried within the embankments of the 11th c. West Baray. Aside from documentation of their relatively modest monumental remains, these capitals remained largely unstudied and their significance under-estimated in the history and development of Angkor. Archaeological investigations employing a wide variety of technologies and datasets over the last two decades have produced a much more complex vision of these key settlements. This chapter presents an overview of these early Angkorian urban centres, specifically focusing on their development, key characteristics, and features and underlining the critical role they played in shaping urbanism and monumental construction that became the hallmark of the Angkor Period.
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