ABSTRACT
The geographical term Southeast Asia covers a vast area, including the modern countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The discussion here centers on the region that stretches from the Red River to the Chao Phraya Delta (Figure 14.1), and southeastward to encompass the Mekong River region. Today this peninsula includes Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, but numerous empires and smaller-scale cultures transcended the boundaries of these modern nations. It is a region with a rich prehistory and tantalizing ritual practices ideal for speculation.
