Determine the environmental impact of intensive industry in medieval Cambodia
Summary
This project will reconstruct the industrial history of the Khmer Empire, and the environmental impact of intensive industrial activity by analysing the palaeobotany and geochemistry of archaeological soils and sediments
Supervisor(s)
Research Location
Program Type
N/A
Synopsis
The sprawling Khmer Empire, which reached its zenith in the 11-12th centuries C.E., was one of the World’s great Empires, incorporating most of mainland Southeast Asia. The industrial centre of the Empire was the city of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, some 100 km east of the administrative capital at Angkor. The ruins of Preah Khan contain ample evidence of intensive industrial activity, particularly iron smelting. This project will analyse chemical and botanical records preserved in soils and sediments to reconstruct the rise and fall of industrial activity at this site, and assess the environmental impact of large scale iron production over time. We seek to understand, specifically, 1) if the collapse of Preah Khan’s industry preceded or followed the broader decline of the Empire and the final collapse of the of the royal capital at Angkor and, 2) if industrial activity at Preah Khan was associated with (for example) air pollution or extensive deforestation, and what implications these environmental impacts may have had for local populations and the viability of the city as a whole. Potential candidates will be assisted in applying for funding. This project will be closely associated with, and contribute to, a large multi-disciplinary research project
Want to find out more?
Contact Research Expert to find out more about participating in this opportunity.
Browse for other opportunities within the School of Geosciences .
Keywords
Asia, Cambodia, Angkor, palaeoclimate, geoarchaeology, Geochemistry, palynology, palaeoecology, pollen, diatoms, phytoliths, sedimentology, archaeology, geology, Geography
Opportunity ID
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 632
Other opportunities with Dr Daniel Penny