▲In 2014, more than 200 paintings were revealed at Angkor. The pinpeat ensemble was depicted in two hidden images discovered on the magnificent temple's wall. One of two images that depicted the pinpeat ensemble can be seen clearly through computer-enhancement and it is identical to today's pinpeat orchestra, includng the absent pin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://popular-archaeology.com/article/the-hidden-art-of-angkor-wat/|title=Popular Archeology - The Hidden Art of Angkor Wat|last=Masis|first=Julie|website=Popular Archeology|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> Pipeat was also regarded as the royal ensemble and accompanied in Khmer traditional and royal festivities in the post-Angkorian periods until today.

▲The pinpeat, in its form originating in India, consisted of four musical instruments, the pin (harp), ([[Khloy]]) flute, ([[samphor]]) drum, and [[Ching (instrument)|chhing]] (small cymbals), based on an Indian epic. The narration said that "One day, [[Shiva]] [who] resides in the gods assembly on the summit of [[Mount Kailash|Kailasa]], intended to perform a dance. So he ordered [[Parvati|Uma]] to reside on the golden throne, [[Saraswati|Sarasvati]] to play pin (vina), [[Indra]] to play the flute, [[Brahma]] to play chhing (cymbals), [[Lakshmi|Laksmi]] to sing, and so that other [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] and [[asura]]s would watch the performance..." Later on, more musical instruments were added or replaced by others and developed to form a unique Khmer musical ensemble.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.soundsofangkor.org/english/ancient-dance/instruments-shiva-s-dances-va/ |title= THE ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS THROUGH SHIVA'S DANCES |last= Kersalé |first= Patrick |date= |website= soundsofangkor.org|publisher= |access-date= 21 August 2019|quote=[In the section 'The instruments of the Shiva’s dances from a Khmer legend', musicologist Patrick Kersalé reported that a version of this legend had been collected in Cambodia in the 1960s by Jacques Brunet.] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://visotharamuny.blogspot.com/2014/08/blog-post_6.html|title=Pheng Visotharamuny: ប្រវត្ដិក្រុមភ្លេងពិណពាទ្យ|date=2014-08-24|website=Pheng Visotharamuny|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.elibraryofcambodia.org/phleng-pinpeat-phleng-siem-ebook/|title=ភ្លេងពិណពាទ្យ – ភ្លេងសៀម? {{!}} eLibrary of Cambodia|last=Kong|first=Kannika|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

▲Today, the pinpeat incorporates ''kong'' gong chimes, such as the [[kong von thom]], as lead instruments. This dates back as far as the Angkorian period, when there was a group of musicians called the ''kongpit/ kongpeat''. Organized music in this period was centered around religious and royal organizations. On one side, two groups of musician served the Khmer brahmins and the buddhists, while on the other side, the pinpheat reflected the power of the Angkorian monarch.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://thebackways.com/?p=2362|title=ប្រវត្តិភ្លេងបុរាណខ្មែរ "ពិណពាទ្យ" ដែលខ្មែរយើងយល់ច្រឡំថាជារបស់ថៃ|website=ទុកផ្លូវក្រោយ|language=km|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref>

▲The pinpheat may have debuted in Southeast Asia during the first Khmer kingdom of [[Funan]] (1st-6th century AD). During that kingdom's existence, Indian religions, culture and traditions were introduced to Southeast Asia, beginning as early as the 1st century a.d. During the Funan period, there was a group of musicians called ''pinpang'', and the [[pin (harp)|pin]] was used as an instrument in the group. During the reign of Funan king Fan Chan (or Fan Siyon), 225-250 a.d., the country "entered relations" with the Murunda Dynasty, who ruled [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] in India.<ref name=vella>{{cite book |editor1-last= Vella|editor1-first= Walter F|last1=Coedès |first1= George |last2= |first2= |date=1968 |title= Les états hindouisés d'Indochine et d'Indonésie |trans-title= The Indianized States of South-East Asia|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iDyJBFTdiwoC&lpg=PA41&ots=yQ5bbUsC0e&dq=king%20%22Fan-chan%22&pg=PA40#v=onepage&q=king%20%22Fan-chan%22&f=false |dead-url= |format= |language= |location=Honolulu |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn= 0-8248-0368-X|archive-url= |archive-date= |via= |subscription= |pages= 40–42|quote=between 225 and 250...first to enter into official and direct relations with the princes of India...according to the ''History of the Three Kingdoms'', who in 243 'sent an embassy [to China] to offer a present of musicians and products to the country'}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Kalia|first= Ravi |date= 1994 |title= Bhubaneswar: From a Temple Town to a Capital City |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=F2YSPiKbmHkC&lpg=PA17&ots=bKtcYcwDWk&dq=%22murunda%22%20dynasty%2C%20kushana&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q=%22murunda%22%20dynasty,%20kushana&f=false|location=Carbondale and Edwardsville, Illinois |publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |page=17 |isbn= |author-link=|quote= Bhuddism reasserted itself in Kalinga under the Murunda dynasty in the third century A.D.}}</ref>

▲King Fan Chan is also known today for establishing relations with a ruler in Southern China during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period, sending as a present some musicians and products of the country to the "Kingdom of Kra Vo under the reign of the King Sun Chorn" (sometimes labeled "Chinese Emperor") in Southern China in 243 a.d.<ref name=vella/><ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Royal Ballet July 2008 |url= https://khmerbamboo.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/khmerclassicaldanceenglish.pdf |location=Cambodia |publisher= Cambodia Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts With the contribution of UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust|page=v53 |date=2008 |isbn=|quote=(A.D. 240 – 243), the King Fan Siyon had Khmer dance and orchestra. He sent his performing team to the Kingdom of Kra Vo under the reign of the King Sun Chorn in Southern China. The orchestra was Pin Peat... }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Sagar|first= Krishna Chandra|date= 2002|title=An Era of Peace |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zq6KlY1MnE8C&lpg=PA60&ots=q0sz4YoC6H&dq=Fan-chan%2C%20243%20ad&pg=PA60#v=onepage&q=Fan-chan,%20243%20ad&f=false|location= |publisher= Northern Book Center|page= 60|isbn= |author-link=}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://peacepost.asia/2017/07/30/the-dawn-of-ancient-khmer-chinese-relations/|title=The Dawn of Ancient Khmer-Chinese Relations|website=Peace Post Asia|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> Another record mentioned the Khmer musicians from [[Funan]] which visited China in 236 CE. The Chinese emperor was so impressed that he even ordered the institute of Funanese music near [[Nanjing|Naking]].<ref>D.R.Sardesai, ''Southeast Asia: Past And Present'', 3rd ed. 1994, Westview Press, {{ISBN|978-0-8133-1706-9}}, p.23</ref><ref name=":2" /> Another Chinese source also mentioned the famous music of Funan (Cambodia) that became popular<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://en.chiculture.net/en/index.php?file=topic_details&old_id=30024|title=China’s Cultural Exchange with Southeast Asia|website=en.chiculture.net|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> and was played at the courts of [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] and [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] dynasties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Altera/funan.html|title=Funan 扶南 (www.chinaknowledge.de)|last=Theobald|first=Ulrich|website=www.chinaknowledge.de|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> This “Funan music” was a ritual music and dance form with Buddhist coloring from the pre-Angkorian kingdom of Funan (Khmer, Nokor Phnom).<ref name=":3" />

▲[[File:Pierre Dieulefils postcard 1662.jpg|thumb|Royal dance orchestra, Phnom Penh, c. 1907. Instruments from the left: front row: [[samphor]] drum, [[roneat dek]] ([[metallophone]]), [[roneat ek]] (bamboo xylophone), [[roneat thung]] (bamboo xylophone), [[sralai]] reed pipe, [[skor thom]] drums, other drums. Back row from the left: sralai, [[kong von thom]], [[kong von toch]].]]