Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 40 (2021) 103231 2352-409X/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Angkorian Khmer stoneware: production and provenance Peter Grave a, * , Lisa Kealhofer b , Miriam T. Stark c , Darith Ea d , Rachna Chhay e , Ben Marsh f , Kaseka Phon g , Hiroshi Sugiyama h, i , Yukitsugu Tabata j , Yuni Sato h , Sok Keo Sovannara h , Visoth Chhay k , Sutee Veerawan l a University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia b Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA c University of Hawai’i M¯ anoa, Honolulu, HI, USA d Department of Monuments and Archaeology, Preah Vihear National Authority, Cambodia e APSARA National Authority, Cambodia f Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA g Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Royal Academy of Cambodia, Cambodia h Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, 2-9-1, Nijo-cho, Nara-shi, Nara Pref. 630-8577, Japan i Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan j School of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan k National Museum of Cambodia, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia l Independent Scholar, Bangkok, Thailand ABSTRACT From ~ 900 to 1450 CE the Angkorian Khmer state extended control over much of inland Southeast Asia. This economically complex polity supported a large number and a diverse range of specialist producers across its territory. Given the limited types of textual data, our understanding of the Angkorian Khmer economy is heavily reliant on archaeological data to address key issues such as the relationship between specialist producers and the Angkorian elite. Here our focus is on the production side of this question through elemental characterization (Neutron Activation Analysis) of a large sample of high temperature ceramics - stonewares - from 15 Angkorian Khmer complexes in Cambodia and Thailand. In the majority of cases we can identify kiln-specifc compositional signatures as the groundwork for the next stage of analysis: studying the consumption-side dynamics of Angkorian stoneware distribution. The study also highlights the spatial resolution of stoneware NAA possible in this context. Together, defning patterns of stoneware production, distribution and consumption will allow a new bottom-up perspective on the operation of the Angkorian Khmer political and ritual economy. 1. Introduction Ancient political economies are commonly studied through the spatiality and content of production, consumption and distribution systems (Hirth, 1996; 2016; Smith, 2004; 2010). However, the scale and complexity of even single material systems, such as ceramics, can make the realization of such studies challenging. In contrast to the economies of ancient polities in southwest Asia and the Americas that have received concerted efforts to understand such systems (e.g., (Feinman and Nicholas, 2004; Stein, 1998; Yoffee, 1995)), interaction dynamics in and among pre-modern states in East and Southeast Asia remain poorly understood (however, see (Bonomo, 2018; Campbell et al., 2021; Klas- sen et al., 2021; Underhill et al., 2004)). Two factors make the Ang- korian polity (900–1450 CE) a particularly timely target for broadening our understanding of ancient political economies in this region and more generally. First, recent archaeological work in Cambodia has substan- tially expanded evidence for Angkorian ceramic production, distribution and consumption (e.g., (Aoyagi et al., 2000; Aoyagi and Sasaki 2007; Chandavij, 1990; Ea, 2009; Em, 2004; Evans and Fletcher, 2015; Evans et al., 2013; Fletcher et al., 2015; Grave et al., 2021; Hendrickson 2010; 2011; Miksic and Chhay, 2010; Phon et al., 2013; Stark, 2019; Stark et al., 2015; Tabata, 2021; Tabata et al., 2016; Tabata et al., 2017)). Second, this evidence — together with the spatial compactness of this polity highlighted through a comprehensive program of LIDAR mapping (i.e. road systems, temple architecture) — provides a multifaceted dataset for better comprehending the structure, operation and complexity of the Angkorian world. In this paper we present a geochemical (Neutron Activation Analysis – NAA) dataset for a large ceramic sample representing the output of known Angkorian Khmer stoneware kiln complexes to elementally establish Khmer stoneware * Corresponding author at: University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia. E-mail address: pgrave@une.edu.au (P. Grave). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jasrep https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103231 Received 29 September 2021; Received in revised form 15 October 2021; Accepted 17 October 2021