Introduction of Theravada Buddhism to Angkor, Cambodia - Mapping Through the Archaeological Record

How do we identify religious transition and social change in the archaeological record? How does an entire society seamlessly, or not so seamlessly, adopt an entirely new worldview? Is it gradual, or immediate, and what are the consequences? And of earlier traditions, what remains, what is neglected, and how do those in the present materially engage with their past to create their vision of the future? This talk explores the cosmological re-envisioning of the medieval Cambodian capital of Angkor through the society-wide adoption and dissemination of Theravada Buddhism beginning in the 13th century CE. This process is marked primarily through the construction of wooden prayer halls/vihara, known locally as prah vihar, which supplanted the longstanding tradition of stone Hindu and Mahayana Buddhist (Brahmano-Buddhist) temple-construction within Angkor yet similarly served as microcosms of politico-religious authority and hubs of social and economic organization. Additionally, defunct Brahmano-Buddhist temples feature ample evidence for monastic construction and structural conversion rather than demolition, highlighting their significance as revered monuments which defined the landscape irrespective of religious denomination. The relative absence of historico-religious inscriptions associated with prah vihar construction and temple conversion, key to previous interpretations of Angkorian history, emphasizes the importance of the archaeological record in understanding the dynamics of this unique historical phenomenon. Dr. Harris presents and evaluates spatial, architectural, artifactual, and radiometric evidence to provide a formative model of religious transition at Angkor, highlighting activity in the 3x3km walled citadel of Angkor Thom where upwards of seventy prah vihar have been identified. He also explores ideas of social memory as ingrained in the localization of religious place-making, and emphasizes the significance of this case study to further understanding of cultural shifts and the exchange of ideas across the ancient world. Video includes Dr. Harris’s talk and an extended Q&A with audience members.