The Khmer Glass Trade: Angkor's Obsidian and Amber

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Sep 17, 2026 · 8m · transcript

While historians often focus on the stone temples and hydraulic engineering of the Khmer Empire, a quieter economic force was reshaping Southeast Asia from within. This episode explores the remarkable trade in glass, obsidian, and amber that flowed through Angkor’s markets during the height of Jayavarman VII’s reign. We trace how these materials were sourced from distant volcanic regions and Indian Ocean networks, then transformed by local artisans into beads, vessels, and ceremonial objects that signaled status across Kambuja. Drawing on Zhou Daguan’s observations of daily commerce and…