PREY VENG PROVINCE, CAMBODIA—The Phnom Penh Post reports that six graves dating to the period of the Funan Empire, between the first and fifth centuries A.D., have been unearthed by archaeologists in southern Cambodia during a road construction project. Named in Chinese historical texts, the Funan Empire was centered on the Mekong Delta and is thought to have been a powerful trading state, based on archaeological evidence. Pottery and tools were included in the burials, according to Voeun Vuthy of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, who explained that the area has long been considered sacred by locals. “The ancient area is on the tallest hill with some trees,” added Nuth Bun Doeun, chief of police of the region’s capital. “The villagers do not exactly know what the area is, but they have been worshipping there for many years.” For more on archaeology in Cambodia, go to “Angkor Urban Sprawl.”