Early Modern Cambodia and Archaeology at Longvek

The decline of Angkor as the Cambodian capital is among the most significant events in Southeast Asian history, but little is known about the settlements that followed. One long-held belief is that people moved from Angkor to the lands between the Tonle Sap, Mekong, and Tonle Touc Rivers to pursue emerging economic opportunities related to an expansion in international commerce. While understanding this transition in 14th- and 15th-century Cambodia is still limited to historical analyses, a growing body of archaeological evidence from the 16th- and 17th-century capital of Longvek (laṅvaek) demonstrates that Cambodia was deeply connected to burgeoning global trade. Instead of pejorative views of this period as a time of absence, Early Modern Cambodia was a vibrant and complex territorial power and mercantile hub.