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The Black Stone of Angkor: Who Stole the Yoni from Wat Preah Thong?
Season 3 Episode 118
In the early 14th century, a mysterious black stone yoni — the sacred symbol of the goddess Uma — vanished from Wat Preah Thong, a temple just outsid…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Coral Tax That Sank Angkor
Season 3 Episode 117
How did the Khmer Empire's love of luxury items like coral, ivory, and rhinoceros horn contribute to its collapse? In this episode, Lucas and Luna ex…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Rope Bridge That Decided Angkor's Fate
Season 3 Episode 116
In 1430, as the Ayutthayan army encircled Yasodharapura, the Khmer defenders made a desperate stand at a single rope bridge over the Siem Reap River.…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Sarus Crane Eaters: Angkor's Last Priest-Kings
Season 3 Episode 115
In the final decades of the Khmer Empire, a mysterious figure appears in the stone carvings of Angkor Wat: a high priest feeding sarus cranes on a lo…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Poisoned Wells of Angkor: Did Warfare Pollute the Water?
Season 3 Episode 114
Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known theory for the Khmer Empire's collapse: biological warfare and water contamination. In 1431, as Ayutthayan forc…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Spider King Who Built Angkor Thom
Season 3 Episode 113
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the reign of Jayavarman VII, the Khmer king who transformed Angkor after a devastating Cham invasion in 11…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Theravada Wave That Undid the Devaraja
Season 3 Episode 112
Episode 112 of our Khmer Empire series explores the religious earthquake that may have done more to bring down Angkor than any invading army. While e…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Salt Crisis That Broke Angkor's Economy
Season 3 Episode 111
While drought and invasion are often blamed for Angkor's collapse, a lesser-known crisis may have been equally devastating: salt. This episode explor…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Diplomat Who Betrayed Angkor: A Spy at Yasodharapura
Season 3 Episode 110
In 1431, the Khmer capital Yasodharapura fell to Ayutthaya after a six-month siege. But the final blow wasn't a breach in the walls—it was betrayal f…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Thai Revolt That Ended Khmer Rule: 1431's Hidden Catalyst
Season 3 Episode 109
We explore the often-overlooked 15th-century Thai (Siamese) rebellion that fatally weakened the Khmer Empire before Ayutthaya's final sack of Angkor …
1 month, 3 weeks ago