Doctor of Philosphy(PhD) / This thesis develops and evaluates the utility of an operational approach to the archaeological study of transport in empires, focussed specifically on the remains of the transport system built by the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th centuries CE) that radiated out from the capital of Angkor to its provincial centres across mainland Southeast Asia. Previous research on the Angkorian transportation system has focussed on culture historical approaches while interpretations of the systemic construction and function are largely linked to one ruler, Jayavarman VII (1181-1219 CE), through a single inscription. The operational approach used in this thesis is derived from an integration of several theoretical and methodological perspectives: 1) Transport Geography theory (i.e., nodes, links, cultural function); 2) historical examples of transport components (i.e., rest stops, roads) and the ‘life-cycle’ concepts that characterize them (i.e., planning, seasonality,); 3) the range of methods that archaeologists use to locate, describe and analyse artefacts of transportation; and 4) identification of the general imperial requirements of transportation (i.e., shifting boundaries, control over resources). A comprehensive investigation of the spatial, temporal and functional aspects of the Angkorian transport system identifies a general plurality of development and function. Results of this study show: 1) there is no single unified transport plan; 2) the transport components, including the routes over which the roads were formalized, were the product of developments between the 11th to 13th centuries CE; and 3) site and resource location indicate that the land- and riverine-based transport systems served different yet complementary functions. From this study new directions for research are identified emphasizing the role of transportation at various scales and in various aspects of Angkorian society. The operational approach is viewed as a vital step in connecting the diverse requirements and activities of empires within an integrated and methodologically-rigorous framework.

Doctor of Philosphy(PhD) / This thesis develops and evaluates the utility of an operational approach to the archaeological study of transport in empires, focussed specifically on the remains of the transport system built by the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th centuries CE) that radiated out from the capital of Angkor to its provincial centres across mainland Southeast Asia. Previous research on the Angkorian transportation system has focussed on culture historical approaches while interpretations of the systemic construction and function are largely linked to one ruler, Jayavarman VII (1181-1219 CE), through a single inscription. The operational approach used in this thesis is derived from an integration of several theoretical and methodological perspectives: 1) Transport Geography theory (i.e., nodes, links, cultural function); 2) historical examples of transport components (i.e., rest stops, roads) and the ‘life-cycle’ concepts that characterize them (i.e., planning, seasonality,); 3) the range of methods that archaeologists use to locate, describe and analyse artefacts of transportation; and 4) identification of the general imperial requirements of transportation (i.e., shifting boundaries, control over resources). A comprehensive investigation of the spatial, temporal and functional aspects of the Angkorian transport system identifies a general plurality of development and function. Results of this study show: 1) there is no single unified transport plan; 2) the transport components, including the routes over which the roads were formalized, were the product of developments between the 11th to 13th centuries CE; and 3) site and resource location indicate that the land- and riverine-based transport systems served different yet complementary functions. From this study new directions for research are identified emphasizing the role of transportation at various scales and in various aspects of Angkorian society. The operational approach is viewed as a vital step in connecting the diverse requirements and activities of empires within an integrated and methodologically-rigorous framework.

The development of the medieval city of Angkor (802-1431 CE) in the floodplains of the Tonle Sap Lake has lead researchers to believe that Angkor made use of its extensive river network; however, little attention has been given to Angkor's relationship with its watery environment. Previous studies have presented a fragmentary view of the subject by analyzing different components in a compartmentalized way, placing the focus on nautical technology or neglecting discussion on water transport in academic works on land transport. This work aims to provide a more comprehensive study on Angkor's specific cognitive and functional traits that could be construed as a distinctive form of fluvial and cultural landscape. This is done by examining the environment, nautical technology, and the cultural biography of boats within the theoretical framework of the maritime cultural landscape and using a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates data from archaeology, iconography, history, ethnography, and environmental studies. A new topological map of Angkor's landscape of communication and transport is presented, as well as new insights on the use of boats as liminal agents for economic and political activities.

The subject of this master thesis are Angkor temples which represent an invaluable cultural and historical heritage of Cambodia. The tourism of Cambodia grows constantly every year thanks to the vast flow of tourists coming to see Angkor. Angkor temples are among the most visited tourist sites in the world and Cambodia is the one of the poorest countries in Asia. The aim of this thesis s to show how one tourist site can effect the tourism of the whole country and how this country is using the potential of this site for in order to increase financial revenues instead of developing other regions of the country.

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Louis Delaporte est un personnage méconnu de l’histoire de l’étude de l’art khmer en France. Il a cependant occupé, entre sa première mission aux ruines khmères, en 1873, et sa démission du Musée indochinois du Trocadéro, en 1924, une place centrale dans l’archéologie de l’Asie du Sud-Est. Cette thèse fournit un premier éclairage sur le travail entrepris par Delaporte pour faire connaître l’art khmer, et constituer une collection d’œuvres devant servir de base pour son étude. Des sources inédites (correspondance familiale, documents de travail conservés par la famille Delaporte et le musée Guimet) permettent de retracer le parcours professionnel de Louis Delaporte, de sa première visite sur le site d’Angkor, en 1866, au développement du Musée indochinois du Trocadéro, entre 1884 et 1924. Si la concentration du travail de Delaporte autour de l’art khmer est fortuite (sa première mission aux ruines khmères a ainsi été conçue comme l’étape initiale d’un voyage plus large d’exploration du Tonkin), il développe cependant dès son retour en France une stratégie réfléchie pour assurer aux œuvres rapportées de son séjour une place de choix sur la scène scientifique française. Grâce à la création d’un très vaste réseau, dans l’administration aussi bien que dans les milieux scientifiques, Louis Delaporte devient ainsi, dès les années 1880, un personnage incontournable dans l’étude des monuments khmers. Faute des connaissances nécessaires, il ne réussira cependant jamais à s’imposer comme le fer de lance de l’archéologie khmère, et se concentrera plutôt sur le développement d’une collection destinée à devenir, en France, indispensable à qui s’intéresse à l’archéologie khmère. / Louis Delaporte is an underrated character in the history of the study of Khmer art in France. Between his first travel to the Khmer ruins, in 1873, and his resignation from the Musée indochinois du Trocadéro, in 1924, he held, however, a central position in the archeology of Southeast Asia. This thesis provides a first insight into the work undertaken by Delaporte to make Khmer art renowned, and provide a collection of art works meant to be the basis of its study. Unpublished sources (family letters, working papers kept by the Delaporte family and the musée Guimet) help relate Louis Delaporte’s career, from his first visit to Angkor, in 1866, to the development of the Musée indochinois du Trocadéro, between 1884 and 1924. If the focus of Delaporte’s work on Khmer art is born of fortuitous circumstances (his first travel to the Khmer ruins was designed to be the inital step of a broader exploration trip to Tonkin), he however developed a conscious strategy to ensure the works of art he brought back became prominent in French scientific circles. Thanks to the creation of a vast network, in the administration as well as in scientific circles, Louis Delaporte became, in the 1880s, a key character in the study of Khmer monuments. Due to his lack of knowledge, however, Delaporte never succeded in becoming the spearhead of Khmer archeology, and focused instead more on the development of a collection designed to become, in France, essential to whoever had an interest in Khmer archeology.