A Virtual Exploration

Virtual Angkor is a groundbreaking collaboration between Virtual History Specialists, Archaeologists and Historians designed to bring the Cambodian metropolis of Angkor to life. Built for the classroom, it has been created to take students into a 3D world and to use this simulation to ask questions about Angkor’s place in larger networks of trade and diplomacy, its experience with climate variability and the structure of power and kingship that underpinned the city.

Power & Place

Angkor Wat is an expression of the architecture of power and the power of architecture. With its massive scale and painstaking detail, the temple was a symbol of Suryavarman II’s absolute rule over his kingdom. This module examines Angkorian kingship within the framework of architecture and design.

Water & Climate

Water was the lifeblood of the Khmer Empire but as the climate changed, the Khmer relationship with water became more precarious and may even have contributed to Angkor’s collapse. This module examines the relationship between the Khmers and their environment, focusing primarily on the intricate water management network that made Angkor a ‘hydraulic city’.

Trade & Diplomacy

Cambodia may look isolated today but in the heyday of the Khmer Empire, it was an important regional centre for trade and diplomacy. Explore the marketplace with Zhou Daguan and discover the intricate networks of commerce and diplomacy that crisscrossed East and Southeast Asia in the premodern period.