Cambodia’s Oldest Construction: The 4,000-Year-Old Memot Circular Earthworks Before concrete, steel, and heavy machinery arrived in Cambodia, ancient builders were already reshaping the land on a monumental scale. Hidden beneath rubber plantations in Tboung Khmum Province, near the town of Memot, lie some of the oldest large-scale construction works in Cambodian history: the Memot Circular Earthworks. Built more than 4,000 years ago, these prehistoric earthworks challenge modern assumptions about early engineering, planning, and community organization. What Are the Memot Circular Earthworks? The Memot sites are large circular earthworks, each measuring roughly 220 to 285 meters in diameter. From above, they appear as near-perfect circles made up of: Raised earthen embankments One or two circular ditches (moats) A central flat or slightly raised mound, believed to be the living area These were not natural formations. They were carefully excavated and constructed by human labor, using simple tools but advanced planning. Image credit: Circular Settlements Within Eastern Cambodia by Michael F. Dega, Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA Source: https://devata.org/PDF/Dega_Michael-Circular%20Settlements%20Within%20Eastern%20Cambodia-1999.pdf Map of Memot Site in Cambodia Image credit: Kent Davis Source: https://www.devata.org/cambodian-authorities-rally-to-protect-memot-historical-site/ Topographic Plan of Chi Peang Site, Krek District, Tboung Khmum, Cambodia Image credit: Circular Settlements Within Eastern Cambodia by Michael F. Dega, Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA Source: https://devata.org/PDF/Dega_Michael-Circular%20Settlements%20Within%20Eastern%20Cambodia-1999.pdf The Krek 52/62 Site Image credit: Gerd Albrecht et al. (2000). Circular Earthwork Krek 52/62 Recent Research on the Prehistory of Cambodia. Asian Perspectives 39 (1-2) Source: https://www.devata.org/bulldozers-destroy-priceless-memotarchaeological-site-in-cambodia/ Document Reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rHQoOK6TwExW8uGu-7Qp-c-iUxicc1DM/view?usp=sharing Profiles of Circular Earthworks in Cambodia Image credit: Gerd Albrecht et al. (2000). Circular Earthwork Krek 52/62 Recent Research on the Prehistory of Cambodia. Asian Perspectives 39 (1-2) Source: https://www.devata.org/bulldozers-destroy-priceless-memotarchaeological-site-in-cambodia/ Document Reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rHQoOK6TwExW8uGu-7Qp-c-iUxicc1DM/view?usp=sharing 3D Image of Hourn Khim Circular Earthwork, Memot, Cambodia Image credit: www.devata.org Source: https://www.devata.org/bulldozers-destroy-priceless-memotarchaeological-site-in-cambodia/ A Construction Feat of the Prehistoric World Archaeologists date the Memot mounds to approximately 2300 BC – 300 BC, placing them in the late Neolithic to early Iron Age. This means they were built thousands of years before Angkor. To construct a single mound, builders had to: Excavate tens of thousands of cubic meters of soil Transport earth without animals, carts, or metal tools Maintain precise circular geometry across hundreds of meters This level of earthmoving suggests organized labor, leadership, and deep knowledge of local soil and water behavior. Diorama showing embankments, ditches, and the central living platform. Image credit: “Diorama of a Memot Earthwork” by Alison Kyra Carter, Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diorama_Memot_Earthwork.jpg Why Build in Circles? The circular design was not accidental. Researchers believe the shape served multiple purposes: Flood control – ditches helped manage seasonal rains Defense – raised embankments created protected living space Social organization – the central mound likely hosted communal activities Environmental engineering – improved drainage in red-soil landscapes In modern terms, these were planned settlements, not temporary camps. Rediscovered from the Air The Memot mounds were first identified in 1959, not from the ground, but from aerial photographs taken during the French colonial period. From eye level, the earthworks are subtle—gentle rises and shallow depressions. From above, their geometry becomes unmistakable. Today, satellite imagery and LiDAR technology confirm that dozens of similar circular sites once stretched across eastern Cambodia and into southern Vietnam. A prehistoric circular earthwork near Memot, visible from the air as concentric rings. Image credit:“Memot Earthwork” by Alison Kyra Carter, Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Memot_earthwork.jpg What Remains Today? Many Memot mounds are: Partially damaged by agriculture and development Flattened during plantation expansion Poorly marked and largely unknown to the public However, some sites remain intact, and artifacts recovered nearby—pottery, stone tools, and habitation debris—confirm long-term settlement. The Memot Centre of Archaeology and Museum preserves models and finds, offering rare insight into Cambodia’s prehistoric builders. Why This Matters to Cambodia’s Construction Industry? For today’s engineers, contractors, and planners, the Memot Earthworks offer a humbling lesson: Large-scale construction in Cambodia did not begin with Angkor—or with modern infrastructure.It began with earth, planning, and community over 4,000 years ago. Understanding these ancient works connects modern construction to a much deeper tradition of Cambodian engineering, one rooted in landscape knowledge and sustainable design. Memot Circular Earthworks in News: 25th December 2022: Memotian: Searching for Prehistoric Settlement Along Cambodia & Vietnam Border (Mr. Heng Sophady, Deputy Director-General for Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, speaks with Po Sakun from ThmeyThmey News) Source: https://cambodianess.com/article/memotian-searching-for-prehistoric-settlement-along-cambodia-vietnam-border 10th September 2010: Cambodian Authorities Rally to Protect Memot Historical Site by Kent Davis Source: https://www.devata.org/cambodian-authorities-rally-to-protect-memot-historical-site/ 5th September 2010: Bulldozers Destroy Priceless Memot Cambodia Archaeological Site by Kent Davis Source: https://www.devata.org/bulldozers-destroy-priceless-memotarchaeological-site-in-cambodia/ Want to say something about this story? 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