Abstract:

Ancient Cambodian art and inscriptions reveal how landscape played an important role in the local culture. This is also corroborated by recent archaeological discoveries at Angkor, which suggest a close relationship between water bodies and temples in the ancient landscape. During the early centuries C.E. in ancient Cambodia, local religious beliefs included the veneration of natural elements (stone, soil, water), and perhaps these beliefs also dictated the choice of specific practices and ideas from Hinduism that were absorbed into local practice. Cambodian art and architecture express this selectively localized religious tradition, particularly during the Angkor period (early 9th to 14th century). Sites like Kbal Spean elegantly incorporate natural elements into the conceptual composition. At this site, the river flowing over a sculpted bed lends special meaning to images that are located in and around the path of the water. I argue that the interaction between landscape and built forms at Kbal Spean appear to highlight local beliefs and traditions by combining Indian and Khmer (Cambodian) visual and conceptual vocabulary.