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SEA & Cambodia

Maritime Trade between Thailand and Bengal

by Shahnaj Husne Jahan

A summary of archaeological finds shining a new light on the history of maritime trade and early Southeeast Asia.

In English

Lettres du Cambodge, 1947-1950

by Martine de la Ferrière

The coming to age of a young French woman at a transition period for modern Cambodia.

HM King Norodom Sihanouk: A Personal Portrait I Interview with Ambassador Julio Jeldres

by Angkor Database & Julio A. Jeldres

On the eve of King Sihanouk's centennial anniversary, a conversation with Julio Jeldres, close collaborator and witness to history.

In English

Elephant train, Phnom Penh to Bangkok in 1871

A picturesque and pertinent travelogue of the 1871 mission set to rescue Cambodian princesses from Bangkok.

In English & French

Champa

by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar

Volume I of the "Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East Series" dealt with the Kingdom of Champa, more "indianized"...

In English

Southeast Asian Archaeological Bibliography

A useful tool for bibliographical research, including "Looking for" labeling.

In English, French, Thai & Dutch

Kambuja-desa, or An Ancient Hindu Colony in Cambodia

by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar

An India-centered approach of Cambodia, Champa and the "Indian colonization" of Southeast Asia".

In English

Ying-yai Sheng-lan 瀛涯勝覽 | 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores'

The reference travelogue of Ma Huan, interperter and translator with Zheng He's flotilla: how China saw the world in the...

In English

A Commentary on Lboek Angar Vat | 'The Poem of Angkor Wat' | ល្បើកអង្គរវត្ត

by Sotheavin Nhim

"Once in a glorious time in the time, there was a king who was law-abiding and generous"....

In English & Khmer

GeoZik

An educational platform and an essential online trove for musicologists and musicians around the world.

In English & French

Early China and the Indian Ocean Networks

Early China’s interactions with the maritime world and the eventual emergence of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) as a leading naval...

In English

A World of Water: Rain, Rivers and Seas in Southeast Asian Histories

by Peter Boomgaard

A crosscultural, multidisciplinary, study on water, its economic and social impact, and its symbolism.

In English

Rivers, Oceans, and Spirits: Water Cosmologies, Gender, and Religious Change in Southeast Asia

by Barbara Watson Andaya

The centrality of water in Southeast Asian cosmologies.

In English

The Ancient Journey of African Tropical Trees to Southeast Asia

New finds in paleo-botanical studies trace the origin of majestic species in Southeast Asian rainforest back to the African continent.

In English

TRaNS

A multidisciplinary publication on Southeast Asia past and present.

Early Historic South Asia: Geography, Climate, and the Human Landscape

by Mamta Dwivedi

A dynamic approach of Early South Asia and the exchanges across the Bay of Bengal.

In English

The Archaelogy of Bengal: Trading Networks, Cultural Identities

by Himanshu Prabha Ray

How the emergence of an 'Indic cultural sphere' can be traced across the Indian Ocean.

In English

A First-Century Stele from Sriksetra

by Pamela Gutman & Bob Hudson

The spread of Saivist and Buddhist influences into Pyu communities of ancient Burma.

In English

Henri Mouhot, premier explorateur du Laos (1826-1861)

A documented profile of the later-acclaimed explorer, who had died in Laos and whose fame had not been yet established.

In French

Cambodian Wooden Houses, 1,500 Years of Khmer Heritage

by Darryl Leon Collins & Sokol Hok

A central element of Cambodian culture, traditions and art, the wooden house is a link connecting Ancient Angkor and modern...

In English

Notice sur le Royaume de Khmer ou de Kambodge

by Vinh Ky Truong

The earliest contribution on Angkor published in an European scientific journal by a Southeastasian scholar.

In French

Nouvelle géographie universelle, La terre et les hommes, VIII: L'Inde et l'Indo-Chine

by Élisée Reclus

The astonishingly vivid and detailed Geography of India and Indochina by French free-thinker Élisée Reclus.

In French

Northeast Thailand before Angkor

by Sarah Talbot & Chutima Janthed

Evidence from an archaeological excavation at the Prasat Hin Phimai in the 2000s.

In English

BKI - Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia and Oceania

One of the oldest publications dedicated to Southeast Asian studies.

Bridging The Gulf: Maritime Cultural Heritage of the Western Indian Ocean

by Himanshu Prabha Ray

Fishing and seafaring in the history of India and her contacts with the rest of the world.

In English

SPAFA Journal

An open access resource on cultural and archaelogical research across Southeast Asia.

A proposed relationship between Champa and Chola dynasties during the 11th and 13th centuries

by Ky-Phuong Tran & Tu-Anh Thi Nguyen

THe Bay of Bengal Interaction Sphere (1000 BC – AD 500)

More about the BBIS (Bay of Bengal Interaction Sphere).

In English

Journal of an Embassy to the Courts of Siam and Cochin-China

by John Crawfurd

A lively description of mainland Southeast Asia in the 1820s.

In English

"Indianization" from the Indian Point of View: Trade and Cultural Contacts with Southeast Asia in the Early First Millennium C.E

by Monica L. Smith

Did Western scholars overestimate the scope of "Indian influence" on Southeast Asia?

In English

Five Years in Siam, From 1891 to 1896, Vol I

by Herbert Warington Smyth

The first volume of a remarkable account of the Siamese and Laotian societies, geographical surveys and mining explorations.

In English

Five Years in Siam, From 1891 to 1896, Vol II

by Herbert Warington Smyth

Second volume of a remarkable account of the Siamese, Cambodian and Laotian societies, geographical surveys and mining explorations.

In English

Gongs, Bells, and Cymbals: The Archaeological Record in Maritime Asia from the ninth to the seventeenth centuries

by Arsenio C. Nicolas

The circulation of musical instruments around Asia, in particular those in bronze, and what it tells us about regional trade...

In English

Sailing To Suvarnabhumi, The Land of Gold

by Himanshu Prabha Ray & Susan Verma Mishra

One of the most comprehensive and groundbreaking works on commercial, maritime, cultural and religious links between India and the Southeast...

In English

The Archaelogy of early contact with India and the Mediterranean World, from the 4th century BC to the 4th century AD

by Bérénice Bellina-Pryce & Ian Glover

How global trade, spices and maritime routes impacted the links between India and ancient Southeast Asia.

In English

Coastal Connectivity: Long-Term Trading Networks Across the South China Sea

by Kim Dung Nguyen & Peter Bellwood & Mike T. Carson

The prehistory of cultural and commercial exchanges across the South China Sea and mainland Southeast Asia.

In English

Gold in early Southeast Asia

by Anna T.N. Bennett

The precious metal and its impact on early Southeast Asian civilizations.

In English

Anthro~Instas | Cambodia | Phoneography

"The ethnographer notebooks" in Cambodia, 2015-2017

Relations de voyages et textes géographiques arabes, persans et turks

by Gabriel Ferrand

The "Island of Khmer" in the accounts of Arab travelers through the centuries.

In French & Arabic

Spice Routes and Cultural Influences: The India-Cambodia Culinary Dialogue

by Angkor Database

A background reading selection about the rich and complex interrelation between India and Cambodia from ancient times to nowadays respective...

In English

Indian Cultural Influence in Cambodia

by Bijan Raj Chatterji

A reference study on early Cambodia, Angkor civilization and its links to Indian culture.

In English

Indians in Southeast Asia: Sojourners, Settlers, Diasporas

From the earliest times, there were substantial movement of people between the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and Southeast asia.

In English

The Role of the Cham and Malay Colonies in Vietnam (18th-19th centuries)

by Nicolas Weber

Power struggle and ethnic minorities in pre-colonial Southeast Asia, and in particular across the Mekong Delta.

In English

Tia Sáng | Ray of Light

Online and print cultural magazine in Vietnamese language.

Ha Tien or Banteay Meas in the Time of the Fall of Ayutthaya

by Yumio Sakurai & Takako Kitagawa

Pepper and Power: Chinese Port Colonies and Khmer, Siam and Vietnamese rivalries in the Mekong Delta area.

In English

Siem Reap: Then and Now

by Darryl Leon Collins

An informed portrait of Siem Reap since the times of the "rediscovery" of Angkor.

In English

Travelers, Dreamers, Adventurers and Agitators: Common Worlds and Uncommon Lives Across Nineteenth–Century Cambodia

by Thibodi Buakamsri

A fascinating exploration of lesser known, unofficial documents and testimonies on pre-colonial Cambodia and the French push for colonization.

In English

Cambodia in the Mid-Nineteenth Century: A quest for survival, 1840-1863

by Bun Srun Theam

The troubled years of mid-19th century, when Cambodia was struggling to survive as a nation.

In English

Travels in Siam and Cambodia

by David Olyphant King

"The temple stands solitary and alone in the jungle, in too perfect order to be called a ruin, a relic...

In English

Notes on the Antiquities and Natural History of Cambodia

by James Campbell

These informative notes stand among the earliest descriptions of Angkor and pre-colonial Cambodia by Western travelers.

In English

Description du Royaume Thai ou Siam

by Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix

An early account of Angkor and pre-colonial Cambodial included in this compendium on the Siamese Kingdom in the 1830s-1850s.

In French

Report On the Kingdom of Cambodia, the ruins of Angkor and the Kingdom of Siam

by Joseph-Georges Ganier

Notations on Angkor and Cambodian resources by an enigmatic traveler-adventurer, J.G.G. d'Aubain.

In English

Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia and Laos

by Henri Alexandre Mouhot

The English, more complete version of the historic travelogue by naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot.

In English

Le Cambodge, II Les provinces siamoises | The Siamese Provinces

by Etienne Aymonier

The Khmer cultural and artistic heritage in the Siamese sphere of influence at the turn of the 20th century.

In French

"Angkor Wat" ("Ankor Wat") by Allen Ginsberg

by Allen Ginsberg

A literary monument to Angkor, "Kingdom Come or Kingdom Yore".

In English

"Ankor Wat" read by Allen Ginsberg (1969)

by Allen Ginsberg

The Beat Generation forward-thinker spent five days in Angkor during his 1963 journey from India to Japan. Here is his voice.

In English

The Overland Trading Route between the Khmer Empire and the Champa Kingdoms

by Ky-Phuong Tran

The land routes linking two neighbors, foes and trade partners, and the mutual influences in Khmer and Cham cultures.

In English

November 1967: Jackie K. Goes To Cambodia

by Angkor Database

As a Netflix movie will soon re-create this moment, we revisit a visit surrounded with political tragedy, romance and desperation...

In English

Conflicting Conceptions of the State: Siam, France and Vietnam in the Late Nineteenth Century

by Martin Stuart-Fox

Political entities and terminology in early and pre-modern Southeast Asia

In English

Norodom Sihanouk & Zhou Enlai

by Julio A. Jeldres

An extraordinary friendship on the fringes of the Cold War

In English

Khmer Art Worldwide

Leper King or Yama – Terrace of the Leper King

by Andy Brouwer

Entry #10 in Khmer Art Worldwide Collection

Michael Vickery Photographing Cambodia in the 1960s-1980s

by Michael Vickery

Cambodia before the civll war as seen by anthropologist and historian Michael Vickery.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre

Anthropological resources on Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on Thailand

The Southeast Asia Ceramic Society (SEACS)

The website reflecting work and publications around the collection created by William Willets in 1969 at the University Art Museum, Singapore

Notes on Brahmanic Gods in Theravadin Cambodia

A lively and perceptive exploration of Cambodian syncretisme from ancient times

Factors that Led to the Change of the Khmer Capitals from 15th to 17th century

by Sotheavin Nhim

Political, strategical, commercial and agricultural motives led to the successive emergence of Khmer capital cities after Angkor lost its central...

In English

The South East Asian Review

An interdisciplinary review founded in 1976 byt two renowned Indian scholars

Comment j'ai parcouru l'Indo-Chine: Birmanie, États shans, Siam, Tonkin, Laos

by Isabelle Massieu

A European woman's view on Southeast Asia at the turn of the 20th century

In French

Un Islam Insolite | An Unusual Islam, the Bani Cham in modern Vietnam

by Agnès De Féo

A particular example of Brahmanist-Muslim syncretism in modern Southeast Asia, and what it tells us about the ancient Cham civilization

In French

The Origins of the Sukhodaya (Sukhot'ai) Art

by H.G. Quaritch Wales

A well-balanced study on cultural and artistic exchanges around ancient Southeast Asia, summarizing the author's original view on the Indianization...

In English

Chinese ceramics in SE Asia: Methodological considerations (Translation)

by Bernard Philippe Groslier & Aedeen Cremin

An English translation of Bernard-Philippe Groslier's notes on Chinese ceramics in Southeast Asia

In English

Asian Historical Architecture

Photo depository on early Asian architecture nurtured by numerous contributors around the world

A New Voyage Round The World

by William Dampier

Adventurer and gifted explorer William Dampier's view on early Southeast Asia

In English

Maritime Trade and State Development in Early Southeast Asia

by Kenneth R. Hall

A major essay on Southeast Asian trade roads and the growing involvement of agrarian States in worlwide commerce, 7th-14th centuries...

In English

Le Royaume de Champa | The Kingdom of Champa

by Georges Maspero

Mainly based on Chinese sources and local inscriptions, the formidable study on the Kingdom of Champa and what it tells...

In French & Chinese

T'oung Pao online

First issues of the reputed 'Orientalist' journal launched in 1890 now accessible online

Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines

by Nyanatiloka Mahathera

Terms and Doctrines of the Pali canon compiled by Bhikku Nyanatiloka

In English & Pali

L'Annam et le Cambodge, Voyages et récits historiques

by C.-E. Bouillevaux

With a map of "Indochina", an expanded version of Pere Bouillevaux's 1858 book.

In French

The Power of Images: Coin Portraits of Roman Emperors on Jewellery Pendants in Early Southeast Asia

by Brigitte Borell-Seidel

The drive for image imitation in jewelry items and the early Southeast Asian maritime routes

In English

Pearic Language in the Cardamom Mountains

Audio collection of studies of Pear, Chong, Samre, Brao and Tampuan languages developed by Marie Alexandrine Martin in the 1960s...

从《真腊风土记》看古代柬埔寨与云南少数民族佛教乐舞 | A Comparison of Buddhist Music and Dance Between Ancient Cambodian and Yunnan Minority Peoples

by Minkang Yang & Angkor Database

A fascinating study on Khmer and Yunnan minority interconnection through music and dance

In English & Chinese

Nectar in Stone | The India-Cambodia Artistic Connection

An Indian TV film devoted to Indian-Cambodian connection in visual arts

In English

The Mystery of Hon Ba (Hon Chuong) Cham Tower

Prince Damrong in Preah Vihear, 1930

by Angkor Database

Back to the Siamese statesman's visit to Preah Vihear, claimed by Thai nationalists until the international recognition of Cambodia's rights...

In the Mood for Love...and for Angkor

Just 20 years after the release of Wong Kar-wai’s magical movie, revisiting its final scene set in Angkor Wat

Buddhapāda: In the Buddha's Footprints

by Jacques de Guerny

A quest for Buddha's footprint artworks from India and Sri Lanka to China to Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos...

In English

The Jesuits in Cambodia: A Look into Cambodian Religiousness

by Vanessa Loureiro

How did Franciscan, Dominican and Jesuit missionaries interact with the rulers of Cambodia?

In English & Portuguese

Angkor Wat, Time Space and Kingship

by Eleanor Mannikka

An exploration of the spatial and numerological organization of Angkor Wat

In English

Flora Cochinchinensis

by Joao de Loureiro

Probably the earliest botanical survey of the region by a Western observer, including some 1,600 species

In Portuguese & Latin

The Major Role of the Mons in Southeast Asia

Mon and Mon-Khmer tribes came from the North, not from the South: new insights on an old controversy among linguists...

In English

Traveller’s Eye | Selected Works from the Francisco Capelo Asia Collection

by Collective & Francisco Capelo

Southeast Asian Art from the Francisco Capelo Collection, Lisboa

In English

Visions of Angkor and Cambodia by...Raymond Cauchetier

by Raymond Cauchetier

Photographer Raymond Cauchetier was in his thirties when he fulfilled a childhood dream: to see Angkor Wat.

L'Aile de feu | Wing of Fire

by Jeanne Leuba

An engrossing novel set in an Indochinese plantation in the 1910s, with an unforgettable visit to Angkor and the Bayon.

In French

Empire Colonial Francais: Indo-Chine (Cambodia and Laos)

by Jules Gervais-Courtellemont & Octave Vandelet

A richly illustrated journey through Indochina, and in particular Cambodia in the early years of the French Protectorate.

In French

Quelques hypotheses sur l'étymologie du terme 'Khmer' | Etymological Speculations on the 'Khmer" Word

by Michel Antelme

Where did the term 'Khmer' come from? An innovative and stimulating study.

In French

Laos Jars Are Slowly Revealing Their Secrets

by Louise Shewan & Dougald W. O'Reilly & Thonglith Luangkhoth

The mystery of the Plain of Jars, in modern Laos, and what it teaches us about ancient burial rites in...

In English

ПУТЕШЕСТВІЕ ГОСУДАРЯ ИМПЕРАТОРА НИКОЛАЯ II НА ВОСТОКЪ (ВЪ 1890—1891) | Travel of Emperor Nikolai II to the East

by E. E. Ukhtomsky

Siam, Annam, and (indirectly) Cambodia in this recollection of Tsarevich Nikolai II's travel to Asia.

In Russian

По белу свету : путевые заметки - Камбоджа | Around the World: Travel Notes - Cambodia

by Grigory de Vollan

One of the first Russian extensive accounts of Cambodia at the end of the 19th century, by erudite and diplomat...

In Russian

Russia / Siam

A trove of historical notations on Russian-Siamese relations in the 19th-20th centuries

Индо-Китай (Indochina)

by Vera Y. Kolokolnikova

The first popularization book on Indochina published in Russia. Authored by a bestselling female writer.

In Russian