Swati Chemburkar: Cows, Curd and Clarified Butter. Dairy in Ancient Cambodia, 85–100

Abstract

Although references to cows, milk, curd and clarified butter, are abundant in ancient Khmer epigraphy, OECD/FAO records show no carryover into the contemporary Cambodian diet, where dairy consumption is extremely low. This paper explores various spheres, in which dairy played an important part in the Angkorian world, such as sacred food, as a magical substance, a part of royal consecrations and funerary rites, ascetic observances, and most importantly as a part of ancient medical practices. Based on the epigraphic, art historical, textual, and archaeological evidence the paper finds a significant role for cows and their products in Angkorian society.

[Cambodia, the Khmer, Angkor Watt, ritual function of butter, religious iconography]