The life history of Baset village, Battambang Province, Cambodia: A report on fieldwork from 2018 to 2023

Abstract

Baset Village, located in Battambang Province, northwest Cambodia, is home to a small sandstone temple built during the reign of the Angkorian King Suryavarman I in the 11th century CE. From 2018 to 2023, the Pteah Cambodia project excavated 26 trenches on 11 mounds across the site to better understand Angkorian life in provincial settings. Results reveal evidence for habitation dating back to the 3rd- 4th centuries CE through the Angkorian period (9-15th centuries CE) and likely into the post-Angkor period. Here we present the preliminary results from our excavation and archaeobotanical analyses. During the Pre-Angkor period, excavations reveal a variety of residential, craft production, and ritual activities. Population evidently increased after Suryavarman I's expansion into the region, which was accompanied by intensification of rice agriculture and palm cultivation. This demographic surge, however, was short-lived, as the intensity of rice cultivation appears to decrease by the 14th century CE. Overall, this work demonstrates the benefits of spatial sampling across a site to gain a deeper perspective on the growth and development of a provincial village over time.