The pros and cons of discovery

Recent discoveries of ancient kilns in the Angkor area are cause of excitement - and concern. Local villagers may have known about these ancestral sites for centuries, but only now has their existence been brought to the attention of the outside world. One of the first sites was revealed by chance during the construction of a new road, the tractor unearthing layer after layer of ancient pottery sherds. A demining team, clearing land of mines for farmers to plant rice and build schools, was the first to report other sites to national and international scientific authorities. It was however the appearance of vast quantities of Angkorian pottery on the domestic and international antiquities markets which first indicated the potential expanse of these discoveries.

Research is beginning to confirm that what first appeared to be isolated kilns may have been whole centers of ceramic produciton. At least three different sites have been so far identified to the northeast of the Angkor Archaeological Park, along with two others in the Kulen mountains. Set amongst villages and rice fields, the kilns themselves appear as simple mounds, to the naked eye nothing more than natural variations in a typical Khmer landscape. Buried deep within the land are not only the kiln sites themselves but also layers and layers of whole or fragmented pots and vases, urns and roof tiles. Many are wasters, imperfect pieces discarded by the original craftspeople themselves at the site, or left within the kilns. Others remain intact, their simple beauty provoking reflection on the lives and ways of the ancient Khmer.

Lidded pot found at Tani Kiln Site, 1997

If preserved, all will serve as precious clues to further unraveling the secrets of Angkor. Organized illegal networks link the Khmer villager - the black market middleman - and the foreign and domestic tourist or art connoisseur in the sad destruction of this essential component of Cambodia's cultural heritage. Poverty drives villagers to excavate these sites which their ancestors had left untouched for centuries. The pieces are sold to middlemen, most often gun-wielding soldiers, who resell them to local art dealers or across the Thai border to second middlemen who bring them to Bangkok dealers for sale in Thailand and abroad. The supply corresponds to demand. Cambodia's land is being further scarred, its history forever obscured by this unfortunate conjunction of national and international appreciation of Khmer art, cynical exploitation and profound poverty.

A whole pot reputedly discovered near Phnom Bok and bought by a Siem Reap temple leader who has taken the initiative to buy ancient ceramics in order to prevent their exportation. Though well intentioned, this cultural caretaker may inadvertantly encourage illegal trade. 1996.

A pot fragment used by villagers at an outdoor stove . Tani village, 1997

The buyer may believe to be contributing to the preservation of Khmer antiquities. Yet, ultimately, inciting illegal excavations, and keeping the piece in a private collection with no knowledge of its provenance, the buyer is contributing to the perpetuation of Cambodia's destruction. An integral part of a national and world heritage, each piece of pottery, be it a complete vase or a tiny roof tile fragment, when excavated scientifically and preserved in a public collection, contributes to the understanding of the Angkorian past.