Óc Eo, port of the Funan kingdom
Óc Eo, puerto del reino de Funan
- Date
- siglos I-VII (excavado en 1944) · confidence medium
- Place
- Óc Eo, Thoại Sơn, An Giang, Vietnam
- Credited to
- Óc Eo culture (Funan kingdom); excavations by Louis Malleret
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
A port city in the Mekong delta, excavated by Louis Malleret in 1944, with canals, jewellery workshops and objects from India, Persia and Rome, including a medallion of Antoninus Pius. It is the main material evidence of maritime trade between the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia in Antiquity.
The name 'Funan' comes from Chinese sources; identifying Óc Eo as its capital or main port is an accepted but unproven hypothesis. Dates range from the 1st to the 7th century.
What it led to
- understanding the Funan kingdom as a trading power predating Angkor
- evidence for the maritime silk route linking India, China and the Mediterranean
- the Mekong delta canal network as a precedent for Khmer hydraulic engineering