| Abstract: |
Maritime networks and cultural exchanges played an important role in the establishment of the port cities in Southeast Asia. In Southern Vietnam, the formation of the Mekong Delta and the changes of the coastline created the best context in the last centuries BCE for the appearance and development of the settlements along the coast and the low fields which were connected by the waterways. These communities capitalized on cultural contacts and trading activities to develop into port cities and economic centres during the first half of the first millennium CE. Thus, they contributed greatly to the formation of one of the early states in Southeast Asia –Funan. By analysing data from recent archaeological surveys and studies in the coast of Southern Vietnam, this paper will provide a general picture on the natural setting and social context of some major sites of pre-Oc Eo and Oc Eo cultures in the Ganh Rai Bay (Giong Lon, Giong Ca Vo, Giong Phet, etc.) and the southwestern coast (Oc Eo, K9, Soa Ao, Nen Chua, Da Noi, Canh Den, etc). Initial results from paleobotanical research will also be discussed for a better understanding of the context of the establishment and decline of the port cities in the coast of Southern Vietnam.
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