Cambodia in the Pre-Angkor Era

No one knows exactly when the earliest people came to establish their home in the land known today as Cambodia. But the skulls and bones of people who lived at about 1,500 years B.C were recovered at a site in the northwest of Cambodia. The analysis of these remains indicated that they resembled those of the present Khmer people. Furthermore, it was found that the inhabitants at the early years A.D., in this territory, spoke a language similar to today’s Khmer language. These findings appear to indicate that the Khmer people have continuously lived for at least 3,500 years in the land known today as Cambodia.

The first major transformation in Cambodia occurred at the 1st century when the Cambodians embraced the Indian civilizations. During the first 500 years A.D., Cambodians acquired various knowledge from India including Khmer scripts, Sanskrit, hierarchy system, Buddhism, political leadership system, sociology, architecture, astrology, esthetics, etc. It has been noted that India provided Cambodia the knowledge base for the development of Angkor.

The information about Cambodia up to the 6th century relied mostly on the Chinese imperial records. The most notable religious-commercial-political center during this era was known to the Chinese as “Funan” and was probably located in the Southeast of Phnom Penh, in the present day South Vietnam. From the beginning of the 7th century, however, the Cambodian inscriptions in Khmer and Sanskrit languages have emerged and greatly increased the historical records. The most notable center during the 7th and 8th centuries was known as “Chenla”, and was thought to be located farther away from the coastal region.