| Abstract: |
Using the corpus of Pre-Angkorian (6th-8th century) and Angkorian (9th-14th century) inscriptions, this study finds a growing frequency and diversity of road terms, particularly during the 11th century when the Khmer began expanding across mainland Southeast Asia. This likely corresponds to the development of the durable roads of the Angkorian transport system. Analysis of the texts highlights a distinction between types of roads (e.g., <i>thnal, phlu, vrah phlu</i>) that may be discerned from archaeological features (causeways, embankments, main roads) visible in the landscape today. This paper supports the view that the road system was the product of centuries of inter-regional communications rather than the work of Jayavarman VII predominantly and demonstrates the utility of employing inscriptions to provide spatio-temporal contexts of features found through traditional archaeological investigations.
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