Angkor Borei and Phnom Da

The ancient Funan sites of Angkor Borei (Khmer: អង្គរបុរី) and Phnom Da (Khmer: ភ្នំដា) are located in the Angkor Borei District, Takéo Province, of southern Cambodia. They are both in the southern part of Cambodia, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the western split of Mekong river delta, 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the seacoast, near the Vietnam border and the Óc Eo site. The Angkor Borei site was likely an early capital and a region where southeast Asian culture and arts fused in the ancient times. Archaeological excavations have yielded items that are carbon dated to roughly 1523 BC and thereafter, many related to early Buddhism and Hinduism, confirming a continuous human settlement at least for some 500 years. They contain the earliest known dated Khmer inscriptions as well as what may be the earliest tradition of Khmer sculpture.

In recent years, the archeological sites have attracted a growing number of tourists. At the same time, looting and illicit trafficking of antiquities continue as a serious problem in the area. Angkor Borei is particularly challenging area to perform archaeological research on due to the fact that the site is inhabited today. Various areas have been heavily damaged by bulldozing, gardening, and other daily activities.