Beyond Angkor: What Pre-Angkorian DNA Reveals About the Khmer People

Illustration of ancient Cambodia before the Khmer civilization.

Did you know that traces of Indian DNA have been found in Cambodia dating back over 2,000 years? Long before the mighty Angkor Empire, the Khmer land was already a crossroads of civilizations. Thanks to recent genetic research, we are beginning to better understand who the ancestors of modern Cambodians were, and the findings are truly fascinating.

This isn't just a story about ancient history; it's a story about the complex, global connections that have shaped the people you meet today.

What Pre-Angkorian DNA Reveals

Deep Roots in Southeast Asia

The Khmer people belong to the Austroasiatic group, one of the oldest language families on the continent. Their ancestors gradually migrated from Southern China, bringing agriculture with them. But they didn't arrive in an empty land; they met and integrated with the local populations—the Hoabinhians—who had been present for thousands of years.

The result was a diverse population well before any contact with India or China.

Ancient Kingdoms, Early Trade

Around the 1st century AD, urban centers began to emerge, such as Angkor Borei in southern Cambodia. It was here that archaeologists found very ancient graves, revealing a society already connected to a vast trade network stretching from India all the way to Vietnam.

The DNA Discovery That Changes Everything

In a groundbreaking 2022 genetic study, scientists analyzed the DNA of an individual buried at Angkor Borei between 78 and 234 AD. The shocking result? This individual had approximately 40 to 50% South Indian ancestry. This wasn't just about objects or religious ideas coming from India... it was about people. And it happened at least 1,000 years earlier than what studies on modern populations had suggested.

This discovery confirms that human exchange between India and Cambodia began much earlier and was far more extensive than previously thought.

A Constantly Evolving Khmer Identity

Modern Cambodians are therefore the legacy of an ancient and complex blend:

• Indigenous peoples from the Neolithic period,

• Migrant Austroasiatic farmers,

• Indian merchants and sailors,

• Chinese cultural and genetic influences…

And all of this happened long before the golden age of Angkor.

In short, the history of Cambodia does not begin with Angkor, nor even with the Funan kingdom. It started much earlier and is made of encounters, exchanges, and diverse heritages. The Pre-Angkorian DNA confirms what archaeology had already suspected: the Khmer people are the heirs of an ancient and deeply connected world.