The present Kingdom of Cambodia’s territories are the old land where Khmer people have lived for thousands of years before the pre-historic period in the case of several cities and cemeteries as the testimony. In fact, the Khmer Ancestors’ countless pre-historic and historic sites are located not only in the present-day Khmer territorial boundary but also in the other neighboring countries such as Thailand, Laos, the Southern Vietnam, and the present Lower Burma region– the Khmer empire’s former territories.

Beads from Snay worn by Inhabitant of
Sisophon Prov.

In some prehistoric sites– in the Northeast especially Snay village, Pring Chou Village, Sophy Village, and other regions: Kos Tameas Site, the bottom of Baray Tek Thla in the west, the north of Prei Kmeng site surrounding the Toul Prasat Prei Khmeng’s in Siem Reap Angkor, Ho Chi Minh City (former Prei Nokor) and the region of Nokor Reach Sima Province, the utilizing tools and body-decorated bead jewelry which Khmer ancestors have left in the graves are discovered. More surprisingly, we have found the enormous Carnelian-made, Agate-made beads and the melted glasses with perfectly mixed color amongst those ancient artifacts. The presence of this jewelry has reflected on the Khmer ancestors between Koh Tameas site, the 5th-1st century B.C, and Prei Kmeng site from the 1st century B.C to the 6th century A.D who have developed all sectors.

Carnelian Pendant from Snay
Village, Available in Old Market,
Siem Reap Province, March 2007

(Cf. Courtsey: Journal of Indian Ocean
Archaeology, No 3, 2006)

Generally speaking, the cultural sector evolvement are clarified through the ancient artifacts and the social achievements, which have not only brought us to know about the great talent for production techniques and the local residents’ intelligence–the bronze-made bracelet with round shape worn on the forearm, the arrow tip, the spear, and the ceramics, but stated the indirectly cultural, economic relationship between the Mon-Khmer Community and the neighboring countries, especially India. Adding to that, carnelian has been used the earliest in India (Pakistan) from the 4000 to 5000 B.C and this semi-precious stone by Roman around 1800 B.C.

Beads from Snay Village Shown
by Young Digger

Based on the recent study on the trade sector relationship between India and other regions in the Southeast Asia, the prehistoric site’s Carnelian and Agate Beads are likely deriving from India. According to the recent data, the trade of the above two beads was initially derived from India, that is, Khambat and Ganges regions and following Assam, Yunnan region, and lastly Burma and the Southeast Asia. We can also include some seaport site’s beads of Sri Lanka like Ridiyagama and Godavaya. So, the distribution of those beads in other archaeological sites connecting to the extensive communication system has precisely shared to improve the

Carnelian Bead from Kos Ta Meas Site,

National Museum

Agate and Carnelian Beads from Snay,
Museum of Ethnology, Toul Kork

economic growth and the culture in the Southeast Asia (M. Tranet).
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