Radiocarbon Dates from Jar and Coffin Burials of the Cardamom Mountains Reveal a Unique Mortuary Ritual in Cambodia's Late- to Post-Angkor Period (15th–17th Centuries AD)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. We present the first radiocarbon dates from previously unrecorded, secondary burials in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia. The mortuary ritual incorporates nautical tradeware ceramic jars and log coffins fashioned from locally harvested trees as burial containers, which were set out on exposed rock ledges at 10 sites in the eastern Cardamom Massif. The suite of 28 14 C ages from 4 of these sites (Khnorng Sroal, Phnom Pel, Damnak Samdech, and Khnang Tathan) provides the first estimation of the overall time depth of the practice. The most reliable calendar date ranges from the 4 sites reveals a highland burial ritual unrelated to lowland Khmer culture that was practiced from cal AD 1395 to 1650. The time period is concurrent with the 15th century decline of Angkor as the capital of the Khmer kingdom and its demise about AD 1432, and the subsequent shift of power to new Mekong trade ports such as Phnom Penh, Udong, and Lovek. We discuss the Cardamom ritual relative to known funerary rituals of the pre-to post-Angkorian periods, and to similar exposed jar and coffin burial rituals in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia.

Radiocarbon Dates from the Highland Jar and Coffin Burial Site of Phnom Khnang Peung, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

“…Our presentation here of the dating and Bayesian treatment of the 14 C results from KPP represents the most extensive data set on the Jar and Coffin Burial ritual thus far assembled by the "Living in the Shadow of Angkor" project, which aims to build an understanding of a highland people who were previously only shadows in the Cambodian archaeological record. As well as extending the chronological record of the Cardamom sites first presented in Beavan et al (2012a), we present some newly observed features for the Jar and Coffin mortuary ritual, including human burials within Angkorian jars, animal remains accompanying some human burials, and evidence of a cultural practice of dental ablation. These discoveries provide new insights about the values and beliefs of this Highland culture.…”

“…In Beavan et al (2012a), the collection of 12 coffins fashioned from whole logs at Phnom Pel had well-defined growth-ring structures and minimal carving away of outer layers. For the Phnom Pel coffin collection, it was assumed that the outermost ring layer likely represented sapwood suitable for 14 C dating of the time of tree harvest for coffin construction.…”

“…Burials within each ceramic jar or hand-hewn wooden coffin are always accompanied by simple copper finger rings (first reported in the sites by Beavan et al 2012a). These rings have copper alloy profiles, some of which are consistent with central Lao copper production and others for which there is no current match with known copper profiles in Southeast Asia.…”

“…The first radiocarbon dates from four of the known burial sites placed this Highland mortuary practice in the Late-to Post-Angkorian period, 15th-17th centuries AD (Beavan et al 2012a). The Highland burial practice is unique when compared to the lowland mortuary practices of the peri-C results is presented here from Phnom Khnang Peung, the most significant site so far reported in the "Living in the Shadow of Angkor" project, which aims to establish a chronology for the Highland burial sites.…”

“…The Cardamom Mountain Jar and Coffin burial site of Phnom Khnang Peung is the most extensive example of the distinctive burial ritual first reported by Beavan et al (2012a). The 40 intact Mae Nam Noi and late Angkorian-era ceramic jars used as burial vessels held a total of up to 152 individuals, representing the largest corpus of skeletal remains of any of the 10 known Jar and Coffin burial sites that have been discovered in the eastern ranges of the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia.…”