Determining the construction sequence of the Preah Vihear monument in Cambodia from its sandstone block characteristics
Tóm tắt
The Preah Vihear monument in Cambodia, located close to the border with Thailand, was one of the Khmer temples registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Cultural Property in 2008. It consists of masonry buildings constructed of siliceous sandstone blocks. In this study, the construction sequence of its buildings was inferred from the chemical composition, magnetic susceptibility, and size of the sandstone blocks, along with pediment end style, and the presence or absence of reliefs on the tympana of adjacent buildings. Five construction stages were identified. We revealed that the Western Annex Hall (N2) is the oldest edifice in the Preah Vihear monument. We also reconfirmed that the Preah Vihear monument was constructed over a range of years, spanning the Bakheng style period to the Angkor Wat style period (the end of the 9th century to the end of 12th century). It was clarified that during the construction of Preah Vihear, the style of pediment ends changed from pediments ending in scrolls made from one block, to pediments ending in scrolls made from two blocks, and finally to pediments ending in five-headed nagas. Over the same time span, the size of the sandstone blocks used in construction increased markedly.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Uchida E, Ito K, Shimizu N. Provenance of the sandstone used in the construction of the Khmer monuments in Thailand. Archaeometry. 2010;52:550–74. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.2009.00505.x.
Geological map of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (at 1:1,000,000 scale). Geological Survey of Vietnam. 2nd eds. Hanoi: 1991.
Department of Mineral Resources of Thailand. Geological map of Thailand (at 1:1000,000 scale).1999.
Barth A. Inscriptions sanscrites du Cambodge. Paris: Imprimerie National; 1885.
Bergaigne A. Inscriptions sanscrites de Campa et du Cambodge. Paris: Imprimerie National; 1893.
Aymonier E. Le Cambodge et ses monuments. Koh Ker, Phnom Sandak, Prah Vihear. In: Annales du Musée Guimet. Revue d’Histoire des Religions. Paris: Ernest Leroux; 1897. p. 20-54.
Lunet de Lajonquiere E. Inventaire descritif des monuments du Cambodge. Vol.II. Paris: Ernest Leroux; 1907.
Groslier G. Le temple de Preah Vihear, Art et Archéologies Khmères, I, Societé d’Éditions Géographiques, Maritimes et Colonials. 1921. Paris; 274–94.
Parmentier H. L’art Khmer Classique. Monuments du Quadrant Nord-Est. PEFEO: Paris; 1939. p. 362.
Cœdès G. Inscriptions du Cambodge. EFEO. vol. 6, Hanoi: Paris; 1954.
Jacques C, Freeman M. Angkor: Cities and Temples. River Books. Bangkok; 1998. p. 319.
Sahai S. Preah Vihear. An introduction to the World Heritage Monument. Cambodian National Commission for UNESCO Phnom Penh; 2009. p. 213.
Roveda V. Preah Vihear. River Books Bangkok: 2000. p. 94.
Uchida E, Cunin O, Shimoda I, Suda C, Nakagawa T. The construction process of the Angkor monuments elucidated by the magnetic susceptibility of sandstone. Archaeometry. 2003;45:221–32. doi:10.1111/1475-4754.00105.
Uchida E, Cunin O, Suda C, Ueno A, Nakagawa T. Consideration on the construction process and the sandstone quarries during the Angkor period based on the magnetic susceptibility. J Archaeol Sci. 2007;34:924–35. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2006.09.015.
Imai N, Terashima S, Itoh S, Ando A. 1994 compilation values for GSJ reference samples, “Igneous rock series”. Geochem J. 1995;29:91–5.
Uchida E, Ogawa Y, Nakagawa T. The stone materials of the Angkor monuments, Cambodia—The magnetic susceptibility and the orientation of the bedding plane of the sandstone. J. Petrol. Mineral. Econ. Geol. 1998;93:411–26.
Uchida E, Shimoda I. Quarries and transportation routes of Angkor monument sandstone blocks. J Archaeol Sci. 2013;40:1158–64. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.09.036.
Meesook A. Cretaceous. In: Ridd MF, Barber AJ, Crow MJ, editors. The Geology of Thailand. Geological Society: London; 2011. p. 169–84.
Uchida E, Ando D. Petrological Survey 2000. In annual report on the technical survey of Angkor monument. Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor. 2001. p. 225–47.
Uchida E, Suda C, Ueno A, Shimoda I, Nakagawa T. Estimation of the construction period of Prasat Suor Prat in the Angkor monuments, Cambodia, based on the characteristics of its stone materials and the radioactive carbon age of charcoal fragments. J Archaeol Sci. 2005;32:1339–45. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.03.011.