Without Iron, No Angkor Wat, Researcher Says

Cambodian archeological researcher Thuy Chanthourn gave a rare presentation to an audience in Virginia last month to describe the crucial role of the Iron Age in Cambodia’s history. His work has discovered iron smelters that pre-date the Angkorian empire, and he encouraged Cambodian-Americans to get involved in more research in the era. Iron played a crucial role in the expansion of the Khmer empire, he said, and was the material behind the chisels and saws used to construct the famed temples of Angkor Wat. (Men Kimseng, Washington)