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Sources
Angkor is still in danger, and many threats hang over
it. Now, this heritage represents one of the last remaining
sources of information for the understanding of the Angkorian
past. It is the last link between this sometimes mysterious
past, the present, and the future. It is therefore vital
to study it, so as to understand and protect this heritage
which is a fundamental part of the khmer identity.
The available sources of information, though very scarce,
enabled to recreate a large part of the Angkorian past.
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Inscriptions sculpted on the temples
stone provided precious information for the dating of the
kings' reigns, of religious constructions, and sometimes also
for the organisation of the temples for instance. Jayavarman
VII remained unknown a long time, and without the inscriptions,
he would still be. |
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The accounts of foreign ambassadors
or travellers at that time are also precious. The well known
Chinese Tcheou Ta Kouan was one of a few to describe in
detail the daily life of the khmer society under the reign
of King Jayavarman VII.
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Dating of monuments and structures
is also possible thanks to techniques used by archaeologists
who analyse ceramics
found in the soils, and compare the decoration and statuaries
styles. Potteries and fragments are thus essential to the
understanding of the Angkorian chronology. |
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Finally, the Bayon
and the Baphuon
bas reliefs are fantastic tales of the daily life in the Angkor
times. It also shows the political events of Jayavarman VII
reign, such as the wars. The Angkor
Vat bas reliefs are also beautiful illustrations of Suryavarman
II reign. |
| However, all these sources of knowledge
and understanding do not give full account of the past,
and many questions are left in the dark. Apart from the
succession of kings, the main wars, the organisation of
the temples' life, the general chronology, many aspects
are still unknown.Various research programs
aim at discovering this hidden past.
It is worth noting that every archaeological team working
in Angkor undertakes thorough research before any restoration
works. By revealing unknown aspects of the angkorian past,
research partly explains it and leads the way for conservation
and restoration, and for the general raise of the knowledge
of the public. Research thus makes the link between past,
present, and future.
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