Maritime archaeology in Southeast Asia is a vibrant area of research that entails a hugely diverse dataset. Historical and anthropological records are combined with archaeological material in attempts to interpret the tangible and intangible heritage connected to the use of the aquatic environment. Seas, rivers, and lakes create fluid environments and provide space for socioeconomic activities. The role of maritime archaeologists is to interpret that connection and exchange by looking at the issue from a water perspective, taking into account the intricate entanglement between humans, objects, and the watery environment that make up maritime communities. From this perspective, maritime archaeology has also developed specific theoretical frameworks to interpret archaeological data. This chapter provides an overview of the discipline in Southeast Asia, of the current projects and trends, and explores different ways of inquiry that can be used to apprehend human-environment interactions in sea, rivers, and lakes.

This article is an overview of the work that has been conducted so far on river usage and nautical technology in the history of Angkor, and a discussion on how maritime approaches can contribute to the creation of new knowledge by opening new lines of research that can help us reconstruct a more nuanced view of Angkor’s fluvial history. Although Angkor’s connection to the river network was made in the early 20th century, the compartmentalized studies that have been carried out so far on the subject of Angkor’s relationship to its watery environment have resulted in interpretations that do not reflect the complexity of the subject. It will be argued here that archaeologists who do not integrate maritime approaches in studies of cultures like Angkor, where waterways play an important role in their environment, are likely to miss important aspects of fluvial cultures. By applying concepts such as the Maritime Cultural Landscape, it will be possible to push beyond the boundaries of terrestrial approaches and discover how the environmental conditions of cultures like Angkor – with river networks as the main means of communication – resulted in the development of specific cognitive and functional traits that gave form to fluvial cultural landscapes. An example of such an approach is offered as a conclusion in an analysis of masonry bridges in Angkor’s transport network.ជាទិដ្ឋភាពរួមនៃការងារស្រាវជ្រាវដែលបានធ្វើកន្លងមក ស្តីពីការប្រើប្រាស់ទន្លេ និងបច្ចេកវិទ្យាផ្លូវទឹក ក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្ររាជធានីអង្គរ ហើយជាការជជែកថាតើមធ្យោបាយផ្លូវសមុទ្រអាចរួមចំណែកដល់ការបង្កើតចំណេះដឹងថ្មី តាមរយៈការបើកខ្សែស្រាវជ្រាវថ្មីដែលអាចជួយយើងឱ្យច្នៃឡើងវិញនូវគំហើញលាយឡំពីប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រផ្លូវទន្លេរបស់រាជធានីអង្គរ។ ទោះបីទំនាក់ទំនងរាជធានីអង្គរជាមួយបណ្តាញទន្លេត្រូវបានសិក្សារួចហើយកាលពីដើមសតវត្សទី២០នោះ ការសិក្សាដោយបែងចែកតាមផ្នែកដែលបានធ្វើរួចកន្លងមក លើប្រធានបទ សម្ព័ន្ធភាពរាជធានីអង្គរ ចំពោះបរិស្ថានផ្លូវទឹកបានបង្កឱ្យមានការបកស្រាយដែលមិនឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងពីភាពសាំញ៉ាំនៃ ប្រធានបទនេះទេ។ អ្វីដែលត្រូវ ដេញដោលនៅក្នុងអត្ថបទនេះគឺបុរាណវិទូ ដែលមិនបញ្ចូលមធ្យោបាយផ្លូវសមុទ្រ ចូលក្នុងការសិក្សាវប្បធម៌ដែលដូចរាជធានីអង្គរ ដែលផ្លូវទឹកដើរតួនាទីសំខាន់ ក្នុងបរិស្ថានតំបន់នោះ ទំនងជាភ្លេចចំណុចសំខាន់នៃវប្បធម៌ផ្លូវទន្លេហើយ។ តាមរយៈការអនុវត្តទស្សនាទានដូចជាទេសភាពវប្បធម៌ផ្លូវសមុទ្រ អ្វីដែលអាចទៅរួច គឺការរុញឱ្យផុតព្រំដែនមធ្យោបាយផ្លូវគោក ហើយរកមើលថាតើលក្ខណ្ឌបរិយាកាសនៃវប្បធម៌ដូចរាជធានីអង្គរ ដែលមានប្រព័ន្ធទន្លេ ជាមធ្យោបាយប្រាស្រ័យទាក់ទងចម្បង បង្កឱ្យមានការអភិវឌ្ឍសញ្ញាណចំណេះ និងមុខងារជាក់លាក់ដែលបង្កើតជា ទេសភាពវប្បធម៌ផ្លូវទន្លេយ៉ាងណា។ ឧទាហរណ៍មួយនៃមធ្យោបាយបែបនេះ នឹងផ្តល់ជាការសន្និដ្ឋាន ក្នុងការវិភាគស្ពានកំបោរនានា នៅក្នុងបណ្តាញដឹកជញ្ជូនរបស់រាជធានីអង្គរ។

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How did Southeast Asia transform from a hub of prehistoric coastal networks into a transregional interdependent port system by the early modern period? To answer this question, which is crucial to understanding the historical developments of polities along the Indo-Pacific region, this presentation proposes to examine the synergetic nature of shipping infrastructure in order to push current boundaries that place the focus on trade goods.