The 36 chapters in this collection have been selected to give an overview of recent research into prehistoric and early historic archaeology in Southeast Asia. In the first chapter, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindorn of Thailand comments on the significance of the inscriptions from the important Khmer temple, Prasat Phnom Rung in northeastern Thailand. Following this, Professor Charles Higham gives an original and insightful survey of the prehistoric threads linking south China and the countries of modern Southeast Asia. The authors in this book include both senior academics and younger scholars just starting to make their contributions to an evolving story of Southeast Asia's past. Their contributions are organised under seven broad themes: Late Pleistocene and early Holocene communities, new perspectives on Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age mortuary practices, Iron Age landscapes and cultures, emerging early states and trading ports, urban landscapes, and regional and long-distrance exchange relations. This book makes a significant contribution to understanding early developments in the complex and dynamic region of Southeast Asia.