Elements of the megalithic complex in Southeast Asia: an annotated bibliography

Abstract

Of all the enigmas of archaeology, the megalithic complex is probably the most intriguing; it is regarded today by some scholars as the first world-wide religious movement, by others as a well-defined stage of civilization, while still others deny completely its existence as an identifiable, meaningful cultural entity. Elements of this complex appear to have spread over the entire globe, but Southeast Asia is one of the few regions where they can still be found both as part of living cultures and in the form of prehistoric remains. There is therefore a challenging opportunity for interdisciplinary study in Southeast Asia which has long since been lost in other parts of the world. The present work is intended to facilitate and foster research on the Southeast Asian megalithic complex by providing a survey of the work published in this field to date.