A Study on the Structure and Significance of the North Sanctuary at Western Prasat Top | ការសិក្សាអំពីរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ និងសារៈសំខាន់ននតួប៉មខាងជ􀈹ើងជៅប្រាសា ទតុបខាងលិច

Western Prasat Top is located in the south-west quadrant of Angkor Thom. The Central, South, and North Sanctuaries, and the uposathāgāra are divided by sīmā stones and, along with a laterite boundary, form the temple precinct. In order to study the history of Western Prasat Top, the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (NABUNKEN), in collaboration with the Apsara National Authority (APSARA), began surveying in 2003. Our discoveries from the North Sanctuary have contributed new and important evidence to understanding the history of the late Angkor period. We will discuss this unearthed evidence from the perspectives of archaeology, archaeological science and iconography. ប្រាសាទតុបខាងលិចសិ្តជៅទិសនិរតីននប្រាសាទរាយនព័ អតីតប្ក្រុងអង្គរធំ។ បរជិ េណប្រាសាទតុបមានតួបម៉ ក្ណ្តា ល ខាងត្បូង និងខាងជ􀈹ើង ប្ពមទាងំ ជ􀈳ឿនឧជរាសថ (ប្ពរះេហាិ រ) ដែលមានសន្លឹក្សីមា៉ ថ្មភក្ជ់ ្្ រះមានប្រាបំ ីទិសជ􀉒ើយមានជាក្ប្មាលរបងប្ពំថ្មរាយជប្ក្ៀមពទព័ ្ធ􀈹ុំេញិ ដែលបជងើតក រានជាទប្មងប្់ រាសាទ។ ជែើម្សី ិក្សា􀈳្រះៗពីប្បេតិប្តា រាសាទតុបខាងលិច េទិ យាសា្ នប្សាេ ប្ជាេជាតិណ្រ៉សប្មាបស់ ម្តិេតា ប្ធម ៌ (NABUNKEN) រានស􀉒ការជាមយួ អាជាញា ធរជាតិអប្សរ ដែ លរានចាបជ់ ្ើមតា ជធើក្វ ិច្ចស􀉒ប្បតិបតិកាតា រប្សាេប្ជាេជៅឆ្នា ំ ២០០៣។ ការសិក្សាប្សាេប្ជាេជនរះរក្ជ􀈵ើ ញេតុ្មយួ ចំនួនជៅតួបម៉ ខាងជ􀈹ើងដែលជាភសុតាតាងែស៍ ំខាន ់ ក្ុងនា ការរមួ ចំដណក្រក្ជ􀈵ើញរបក្គំជ􀉒ើ ញថី្ម និង ជែើម្ដី សវងយល់អំពីប្បេតិសាតា សសតានាសមយព័ ចុងជប្កាយននអាណ្ចប្ក្អង្គរ។ ជយើងនលឹងពិ្ក្្ សាអំពីភសុតាតាងទាងំ អមបាលមានដែលរានរក្ជ􀈵ើញឲ្យរានសុី􀈹ជប្រៅ ជៅជលើទស្សនៈននបុរណេទិ យា,េ ទិ យាសាសសតាបុរណេទិ យា និងជទេក្ថា។

Deciphering a timeline of demise at Medieval Angkor, Cambodia using remote sensing

The Greater Angkor Region was the center of the Khmer Empire from the 9th until the 13th to the 14th centuries CE, when it entered a period of decline. Many studies have suggested that the decline of Angkor was precipitated by several factors, including severe monsoons, geopolitical shifts, and invasions. In this paper, we use light detection and ranging and ground penetrating radar to investigate the possible intersection of two of these existential threats in one feature: the North Bank Wall. Our results indicate that this feature was designed with dual functionality of extending the urban area’s defenses to the east of Angkor Thom while maintaining the existing infrastructure for the distribution and disposal of water. These findings suggest that the North Bank Wall was built before the severe droughts in the mid-13th century. The timing of the construction indicates that the perceived need for additional security—whether from internal factional disputes or external adversaries—predated the final adaptations to the hydraulic network during the unprecedented monsoon variability of the 14th century. These results indicate that perceived political unrest may have played a more important role in the decline of the site than previously known.

Deciphering a Timeline of Demise at Medieval Angkor, Cambodia Using Remote Sensing

The Greater Angkor Region was the center of the Khmer Empire from the 9th until the 13th to the 14th centuries CE, when it entered a period of decline. Many studies have suggested that the decline of Angkor was precipitated by several factors, including severe monsoons, geopolitical shifts, and invasions. In this paper, we use light detection and ranging and ground penetrating radar to investigate the possible intersection of two of these existential threats in one feature: the North Bank Wall. Our results indicate that this feature was designed with dual functionality of extending the urban area’s defenses to the east of Angkor Thom while maintaining the existing infrastructure for the distribution and disposal of water. These findings suggest that the North Bank Wall was built before the severe droughts in the mid-13th century. The timing of the construction indicates that the perceived need for additional security—whether from internal factional disputes or external adversaries—predated the final adaptations to the hydraulic network during the unprecedented monsoon variability of the 14th century. These results indicate that perceived political unrest may have played a more important role in the decline of the site than previously known.

Die wundersame Flora rund um die kambodschanische Tempelstadt Angkor

Die Tempelstadt Angkor wird vielfach achtes Weltwunder genannt. Das UNESCO-Welterbe liegt gut 300 km nordwestlich der kambodschanischen Hauptstadt Phnom Penh am Rand der Provinzmetropole Siem Reap. Die bis ins 12. Jahrhundert zurückreichende Baukunst mit herausragenden Zeugnissen hinduistisch-buddhistischer Kultur macht Angkor zu einer viel besuchten Sehenswürdigkeit. Unter den rund 1000 (!) Tempelanlagen sind vor allem Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom und Ta Prohm hervorzuheben. Der Fokus dieses Artikels richtet sich auf die tropische „Tempelflora“ rund um den weitläufigen Aachäologischen Bezirk.

Geoarchaeological evidence from Angkor, Cambodia, reveals a gradual decline rather than a catastrophic 15th-century collapse

Alternative models exist for the movement of large urban populations following the 15th-century CE abandonment of Angkor, Cambodia. One model emphasizes an urban diaspora following the implosion of state control in the capital related, in part, to hydroclimatic variability. An alternative model suggests a more complex picture and a gradual rather than catastrophic demographic movement. No decisive empirical data exist to distinguish between these two competing models. Here we show that the intensity of land use within the economic and administrative core of the city began to decline more than one century before the Ayutthayan invasion that conventionally marks the end of the Angkor Period. Using paleobotanical and stratigraphic data derived from radiometrically dated sediment cores extracted from the 12th-century walled city of Angkor Thom, we show that indicia for burning, forest disturbance, and soil erosion all decline as early as the first decades of the 14th century CE, and that the moat of Angkor Thom was no longer being maintained by the end of the 14th century. These data indicate a protracted decline in occupation within the economic and administrative core of the city, rather than an abrupt demographic collapse, suggesting the focus of power began to shift to urban centers outside of the capital during the 14th century.