Trade and Exchange Networks in Iron Age Cambodia: Preliminary Results from a Compositional Analysis of Glass Beads

11 pages.Glass and stone beads found at Iron Age period sites (500 BC – AD 500) in Southeast Asia are amongst the first signs for sustained trade and sociopolitical contact with South Asia. Because of this, they have become important artifacts for scholars wishing to better understand trade networks and sociopolitical development during this period. Using compositional analysis, scholars can identify the recipes used to make these glass beads and in some cases this can be tied back to specific places or time periods. Current research indicates there were multiple glass bead production centers across South and Southeast Asia during this period. However there has not yet been a comprehensive examination of glass beads from Iron Age sites in Cambodia. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting the results from a compositional analysis of glass beads from six Iron Age sites in Cambodia. Using a virtually non-destructive compositional technique (LA-ICP MS), I was able to determine the presence of at least two glass bead-trading networks in Cambodia during the Iron Age.I would like to thank the Cambodian government for allowing me to work on and analyze the materials, especially H.E. Chuch Phoeurn and Ham Kimson from the MoCFA. I am grateful for the help of Dr. Laure Dussubieux and James Lankton. I would also like to thank Heng Sophady, Vuthy Voeun, Seng Sonetra, and Vin Laychour from the Memot Centre for Archaeology. Dr. Andreas Reinecke assisted with materials and information from Prohear. Dr. Pheng Sytha helped provide lab space and access to the materials from Phum Snay at the Royal University of Fine Arts. Dr. Dougald O’Reilly provided helpful information on the excavations at Phum Snay and Phum Sophy. Dr. Christophe Pottier from the EFEO and the APSARA Authority in Siem Reap allowed me to analyze the Prei Khmeng materials. Phon Kaseka provided access to materials from his project at Phnom Borei. Dr. Kyle Latinis provided helpful advice while in the field. Financial support for analysis was provided by the Bead Study Trust, the Bead Society of Los Angeles, and the Portland Bead Society. Thanks also to Dr. Mitch Hendrickson for organizing the session and commenting on a draft of this paper. Final thanks also to Drs. J. Mark Kenoyer and Miriam Stark for their guidance and support