Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Angkor’s Bronze Age: The Lost Foundries of the Khmer Empire
Description
Long before Angkor Wat rose from the jungle, the Khmer civilization was already a powerhouse of bronze casting. This episode dives into the archaeological and epigraphic evidence for a sophisticated bronze industry that supplied everything from temple bells to ceremonial weapons. We explore the lost-wax technique (cire perdue) used to create intricate statues of Vishnu and the Nāga serpent, the copper and tin trade routes that connected the Mekong to the Sepon mines in modern Laos, and the role of bronze in Khmer statecraft and religion. Lucas and Luna also discuss the puzzling disappearance of large-scale foundries after the 12th century, linking it to deforestation, shifting trade networks, and the rise of Theravada Buddhism. Drawing on recent excavations at Roluos and the Preah Khan inscription, this episode reveals a forgotten industrial chapter of Angkor’s rise and fall.