Decades-long droughts and intense monsoons associated with the beginning of the Early Modern Period (EMP) are often viewed as contributing factors in the decline of Angkor. While additional converging aspects included unsustainable subsistence practices and over-commitment to massive infrastructure, the earliest and most plausible explanation of Angkor’s diminishing pre-eminence was the pursuit of economic opportunities. Large segments of Angkor’s population were theoretically drawn southward in response to intensification of Chinese trading patterns across Southeast Asia and at river ports near the junctions of the Tonle Sap, Mekong, and Tonle Touc Rivers. Understanding these economic transitions in the wake of decline at Angkor in the 14th and 15th centuries is largely limited to historical analyses, but a growing body of archaeological evidence from the 16th and 17th-century capital of Longvek (laṅvaek) demonstrates that Cambodia was increasingly connected to bourgeoning global networks. With a focus on the proxies of trade, this paper will present recent archaeological investigations at Longvek. Research on Cambodia during the EMP clarifies the relationship between endogenous factors like the capacity of local actors to leverage international commerce for economic and political objectives and opens a path to consider exogenous drivers such as climatic fluctuation.