Akphivath Vitou

Education

BA in Archaeology at Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh

MA in History of Art And/Or Archaeology at SOAS University

Areas of Interest

Pre-Angkorian and Angkorian periods from (6th to 15th centuries CE) in Cambodia; ceramics analysis, archaeological survey and excavation, settlement patterns, remote sensing, landscape archaeology, and Khmer art and architecture.

Profile

I developed a lifelong fascination with Cambodia’s past. This passion led me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA, 2014), Phnom Penh, and an MA in History of Art and/or Archaeology at SOAS, University of London (2020). My academic journey revolves around understanding settlement patterns and human-environment interactions in premodern Cambodia and Southeast Asia. My RUFA’s thesis utilized GIS, pedestrian survey, site location (habitation mounds, ponds, and temples), and ceramic analysis to reconstruct changes in settlement patterns at a major pre-Angkorian center of Sambhupura (6th-8th century CE) located along the Mekong River. At SOAS, my MA thesis explored the artistic and spatial relationships between Kulen-style monuments and political power during the early Angkor period (9th century CE).

I began my professional archaeology career as an intern at various projects, then as field supervisor of the PHUM Archaeological Project in Angkor, directed by Dr. Piphal Heng. Since my undergraduate studies, I have worked with multiple international archaeological projects from the University of Hawaii, UCLA, University of Sydney, the French Archaeology and Development Foundation (ADF)-Phnom Kulen Program, and others. These programs equipped me with skills in excavation, art historical analysis, ceramic analysis, pedestrian survey, LiDAR ground truthing, GIS, and community engagement.