This collection deals with the development of complex societies in Southeast Asia from the Neolithic until the later historic period. The authors present data from recent excavations as well as new analyses of previous finds, with a focus on cultural exchange and interactions with the natural environment. The volume is divided into four parts: the Neolithic period in Southeast Asia (common origins, cultural diffusion and antiquity of human occupation); the Bronze-Iron Age in mainland Southeast Asia (new dating, mortuary practices, and material culture); long-distance exchange relations between China and the Middle East; and early Indianized polities (natural environment and material culture).