In the late 13th century, a Chinese diplomat by the name of Zhou Daguan paid a visit to Angkor and stayed at its royal court for almost a year. He is well-known for his detailed contemporary account of Angkor which has been helping archeologists to piece together the puzzle of Angkor's mysteries. Based on his record, we can conclude that by the time of his visit, the Khmer had already developed and had been using at least four types of roofing materials: lead tiles, yellow glazed tiles, unglazed tiles and thatch straw/palm leaves. Some archeologists speculate that these roofing materials may have also corresponded with the social structure of the time and only those who were of higher rankings may have been permitted with the privilege to use fancier materials. Unlike those high-ranking state officials, commoners, either rich or poor, may have not even been allowed to use proper tiling on their roofs. Instead, they were only left with the option of thatching. Credit: Kambujaya
