Brief News, Restoration and Research Project of International Institute in Angkor

Living Angkor Road Project
A Khmer-Thai Joint Research Project

The Living Angkor Road project started in September 2005 aimed at conducting researches into the background of an ancient road and the settlement of the people then and now all the way from Angkor to Phimay. Researches are to be done within each side’s own territory and are broken into different stages, each of which is 18 months long.

The Cambodian side represented by the APSARA Authority has so far completed its first stage of research and data collection on a piece of 180- kilometer road from Angkor Thom City to the Khmer-Thai border. To put it in a nutshell, we have discovered the 17 ruins of rest houses which were inscribed at Preah Khan. Nine of them are in the Thai territory and the rest in Cambodia. Ancient bridges, big and small temples and pre-historic sites have also been found.

The second stage involves data analysis, for instance, the analysis of the road structure, irrigation system, pre-historic sites and ancient industry. Website development and a data-keeping system are also included in this stage. The stage began in April 2007 and is scheduled to end in September 2008.

Prasat Ampil along the Ancient Road, in Udor Mean Chey Province

Some stone tools were found in the village along the Ancient Road, in Siem Reap Province

The activities of the Greater Angkor Project

The Greater Angkor Project is collaboration between the University of Sydney, the EFEO and APSARA Authority, has been funded by the Australian Government since 2002. The project is investigating the agricultural, residential and environmental context of the temples, particularly the vast network of canals, dykes and reservoirs used to manage water. Mapping of the surface archaeology across Angkor has been completed, and archaeological excavations at key locations in the network have continued. In particular, excavations at the site of Bam Penh Reach have revealed new information regarding the shape and function of a massive stone spillway, now buried below more than 2 meters of soil.

Survey and excavation at Krol Romeas , an outflow channel located in the east dyke of the East Baray have revealed that the structure was modified profoundly during its history, first to block the outflow and then to convert it to an intake. The GAP is funded until 2010.

Archaeological survey on the site

Conservation and Restoration of GACP Team

At the beginning of 2007 the GACP team carried out work on different sites:

- January 2007: The GACP team, in collaboration, with the Maintenance unit of the APSARA authority conserved the Naga head on the causeway at the south gate of Beng Mealea temple.
- February 2007: The Second working sites was also carried out in collaboration with the maintenance unit of the APSARA authority and concerned the to restoration of dangerous parts of the north gate of Angkor Thom by carving new stone blocks to fill the lacuna (missing blocks).
- March 2007: The whole team jointed the training course with the Experts from Germany about stone and Sculptor carving at info- Center of A W.
- April 2007: The team continued the operation of the removal of the acrylic resin at North West Pavilion of Angkor Wat, and the conservation of the Apsara reliefs: 19 Apsaras and 8 pediments were conserved.
The scaffolding was removed from the AV3 North East Pavilion and was moved to the outside of the AV3 North West Pavilion. The scaffolding was also removed from AV1 South East Tower and North West Tower, to be erected at the new work sites at AV1NWw & SWw.

Other Activities: The team also made a study tour to Koh Ker & Kulen Mountain to carry out research on the problems of different animal statues and prepared the document for future work and emergency work.

Naga head at Beng Mealea temple after restoration

Restoration work at the north gate of Angkor Thom

National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (NRICPT)

In December 2006 NRICPT and APSARA signed the Memorandum of Understanding of the joint research for the next five years on preservation of stone monuments at Ta Nei temple.

After the field investigation in 2006, identification of microorganisms on stone monuments was done. As for lichen, 41 species representing 34 genera (including cyanobacteria and green algae) are identified. Mosses include 9 species representing 8 genera and 8 families of Bryopsida, and 3 species representing 2 genera and 2 family of Hepaticae. Some of the species of lichen and mosses are firstly reported from this area.

This year we plan to do an investigation on the effect of lichen on stone monuments, as well as further identification of the species. Analysis of the relationship between the environment and microbiological growth will be also done. As the result of ground survey, some parts of external wall of Ta Nei were also identified; the estimated size of the wall is approx. 186 meters from east to west, 157 meters from north to south.

Measuring micro climate data

Activities of Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, in Siem Reap 2007

1-Western Top Temple Site
From 25th January to 3rd February, we opened a new trench, measuring 3m x 9m, on the east of the Buddhist terrace. The purpose of this excavation was to find and understand the relation between the Buddhist Terrace and the laterite enclosure. As a result, we found two blocks of Sema stone (only the lower parts on the east of terrace), some blocks of sandstone and laterite structure, brick, Khmer and Chinese ceramic fragments. The excavation of this trench was not yet completed only the upper layer was done. This work will be undertaken in the next mission.

2-Sar Sei Kiln Site
From 24th to 30th January, our team re-opened the former trench, on the mound A11 that had already been excavated in 2005 and 2006. This time, we tried to find out the eastern part of the kiln’s structures. Some parts of eastern wall, floor, pillars and fired box were found. This excavation was also done for presenting to the guests who joined the International Symposium on Early Settlements in the Neolithic Period and the Production of Khmer Ceramics, which organized by Nara Institute from 30th January to 1st February 2007.

3-Khnar Po Kiln Site
The OHTANI University through the Nara Institute in cooperation with APSARA Authority continued to excavate the kiln mound B1 from 27th February to 3rd March 2007. Two technical staffs from APSARA and five students from Faculty of Archaeology, Phnom Penh joined the work. In December 2006 we made a topographic map for this mound and dug down about 20cm to 40cm to find the direction of the kiln body. We found some structure of the kiln’s body. So this time we wanted to confirm clearly the structures of this kiln. Fortunately, we found the kiln’s walls, floor, pillars and north part of fired box. Some ceramic fragments were also collected from inside the kiln body.

Excavation at Western Top temple

Excavation at Sar Sei Kiln Site

Excavation at Khnar Po Kiln Site

Sophia University Angkor International Mission

Sophia University Angkor International Mission collaborated with the APSARA Authority, continued the following research projects.

1. Archaeological survey
- In March 2007, the 47th mission of Banteay Kdei temple archaeological research was carried out. In this mission, we excavated an ancient pond with laterite steps (D25), which is located about 30 meters-northeast from small building (D11).
- In January 2007, an archaeological survey at Anlong Thom kiln 001, Phnom Kulen was carried out for 2 weeks. This project is cooperation work with APSARA Authority.

2. Museum for 274-Buddhas from Banteay Kdei
The inauguration ceremony of the Museum will be held at the beginning of November, 2007. This museum will be transferred to APSARA Authority.

3. Human resource development
Sophia Asia Center for Research and Human Development continue to educate Cambodian students through both of the field work and the lectures by Japanese and Cambodian experts. In March 2007, 5 students of archaeology and 5 students of architecture from RUFA joined this training program. This program “International Education Program for Special Conservators and Researchers in Tropical Asia” is funded by Ministry of Education, Cultures, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan) from 2006 to 2009.

Sihanouk AEON Museum

Cooperation Work between APSARA Authority and Chinese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor (CSA)

Seven items of Chau Say restoration project were carried out during January to April, 2007:

- North library: Replacing and supplementing on the west gateway is completed.
- Center sanctuary: Paving ground sandstone plank of antechamber has been finished.
- Finished restoring enclosure between the east gopura and the north gopura.
- Pillars of the pathway in front of the cross-terrace have been repaired and arranged.
- Finished installing causeway between center sanctuary and north gopura.
- Repairing and installing plank of north part of the raised causeway is still underway.
- Some detailed carving work is being done.

North Library

Some detail carving work is being done

Banteay Srei Conservation Project

1- Maintenance work
The BSCP team was carrying out maintenance work on several elements of the temple Banteay Srei. The focus was put on elements which are in place to protect the Temple from the use by the visitors. Furthermore the BSCP team planned and installed some new protection elements manly on the entrances to the different zones (Gopura 1 – 4).
After the rain season the complete rainwater evacuation system was revised and cleaned.

2- Monitoring work
The started monitoring work on the development of the numbers and behaviour of the visitors is still ongoing and will serve as an information base for the future Parvis project. Also the started monitoring on elements of the temple structure (walls, columns) as well as the development on the groundwater level is ongoing. The collected data are registered and documented in the various reports.

3- Documentation
During the past 6 months most of the collected data, Plans and reports were revised and finalized. The complete documentation on phase one of the BSCP Project will be handed over to APSARA and UNESCO by August 2007.

4- Planning work of Banteay Srei Parvis
The pre-planning of phase two of the BSCP Project (2007 / 2008) has been started and from Mai 2007 the full Team of BSCP will be based in Siem Reap and start its main activities in planning and developing the Parvis of the Temple Banteay Srei.

Wooden Plank

Cleaning Control Box

Monitoring Groundwater

Apsara Restoration and Conservation Unit

The Apsara Restoration and Conservation Unit starts the 5th March 2007 with 3 local experts from GACP team and one Advisor from the DED (Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst). Our project aim is setting up of a permanent unit of experts on restoration and conservation of monuments at the historic site of Angkor within the APSARA Authority by incorporating specialised conservators from the GACP (German Apsara Conservation Project).

Our first activities are to establish a working office (the photo shows us in front of our office building, the office is down stairs) and research the temples of Angkor area and to get to know the different experts and their working sites.
The last month we made a training course about stone carving trained by a German stonemason.

Stone carving work shop

Report on World Monuments Fund’s Projects in Angkor

In the first half of the year 2007, the team of World Monuments Fund (WMF) has conducted the following conservation actions at the four sites at which we are working:

1- Prasat Ta Som (Joint Project with APSARA Authority)
- The WMF team has documented fallen stones and adjacent structures on the north side of the Central Portico of the temple and on the north side of North Gopura I towards opening this area and passageway to visitors of the site.
- This work has entailed the repair of broken sandstone blocks and the re-erection of the North Central Fronton at North Gopura I.
- The team cleaned all affected stones and removed soil that has been deposited by rain from historic drainage channels of the outer wall forming the north side of the temple enclosure.
- The result has resulted in Ta Som being accessible from all four sides which is expected to be an improvement to site circulation and interpretation.

2- Preah Khan
Conservation work on Garudas has been slowed to enable a review and revision of stone conservation methods. The conservation scientific work is being guided by the German stone conservator Konstanze von zur Mühlen in cooperation with the project architect Cheam Phally.
The phase of research involves analysis of the present status of WMF’s garuda conservation program and establishment of required improvements in the following categories:
- Documentation and research methods
- Conservation treatments
- Quality control

3- Phnom Bakheng
The WMF team has continued to address the most pressing architectural conservation matters at the site through the following measures:
- Documentation and re-assembly of the original sandstone wall with new laterite backing at the Southwest corner of the first platform.
- Placement of doubled sand bags in gaps between sandstone veneer walls and bedrock in order to prevent rainwater infiltration.
- Installment of safety information in conservation areas.
- Relocation of stones blocks from the upper-most platform to the platform below in a more safe and secure location.
- Transport and storage of newly purchased sandstone and laterite blocks to the plateau area 2, where methods of stone preparation have been tested and applied.

4- Angkor Wat – Churning of Sea of Milk Gallery Roof Repair Project
- The WMF project team has worked to secure official approval from the APSARA Authority of the new project to repair the roof stones and correct water leakage problems at the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery project.
- The international technical consultancy team finalized the design of the new gantry crane necessary for the handling of roof stones and a scheme for re-routing and protecting tourists in this during the disassembly and re-assembly process which were submitted and approved by the APSARA Authority.
- The WMF office in New York has procured services and equipment in relation to the new gantry crane.
- Other construction site preparation measures such as placement of a work platform and provision of water and electricity have been approved and are expected to be implemented in the coming weeks.

Activities at Ta Som temple

Stone identifying at Ta Som temple

Drawing activities at Phnom Bakheng temple

Test of pavement at Phnom Bakheng temple

Stone Analysis and Restoration Project of
Czech Republic (GOPURA)

Within the framework of the project objectives that were declared in the Memorandum of Understanding between APSARA Authority and the GOPURA Project of Czech Republic, we already have carried out the following activities:

- In December 2006, we collected stone samples from Baphuon, Chau Sey Tevoda, Batchum and Phimeanakas temples to be analyzed with the nuclear activation analysis to find out the elemental content of the sandstone that may reveal its sources. Some samples from Baphuon were also collected to be subjected to luminescence dating techniques to find out the date of the stone blocks being put into their places during construction.
Furthermore, GOPURA organized training courses on the Stone Conservation, Statue fragment assembly and Artifacts drawing. Five members of the technical staff of Department of Monument and Archaeology I, APSARA Authority participated in the courses.

- From March to April 2007, GOPURA proceeded with the Stone Conservation Training Course and practical aspects of Stone Restoration. That time 12 members of the technical staff of Department of Monument and Archaeology I, APSARA Authority participated. During that period, the Deputy Ambassador of Czech Republic visited Siem Reap and discussed the aspects of the course and its progress with the trainees present at the site.
In March 2007 Members of GOPURA again collected sandstone samples from ca. 20 temples that are intended for nuclear activation analysis to discover their elemental composition.

As the first object of restoration, GOPURA selected lion and elephant statues recovered in the vicinity of the Phimeanakas temple. Following restoration work, GOPURA intends to reposition the statues to their original places at the temple. The original locations have been identified from surveys carried out by Dr. Oliver Cunin’s source. The Result, we found and collected some of broken statues with collaborating of APSARA’s technical staff.

Statue removing at Phimeanakas temple

Certificate-awarding ceremony

Cooperation work of JASA (JAPAN-APSARA Safeguarding Angkor)

JASA Bayon Project team started the partial dismantling work of Southern Library in Bayon since January 2007. Up to now, we completed the dismantling of upper structure including roof, wall and one part of platform. These dismantling blocks have been diagnosed on the deterioration individually and repaired by the improved method and equipment from previous JSA restoration work.

Approximately 1,700 sandstone elements that were piled up at the space between Southern Library and Outer Galley were transported to the southern stock yard of Bayon, and all elements were recorded in a database system in order to search the missing blocks of Library. This “Stone Database Project” is a pilot scheme for documentation of the approximately 60,000 scattered sandstone elements in Bayon temple.

“Bayon 3D recording project” proceeded to the measurement of Central Tower of Bayon cooperation with Tokyo University. In order to conduct an analysis on the critical location of central tower, whole surface of structure; interior and exterior, was measured and given a diagnosis.

“Conservation project of Bas-relief of Inner Gallery in Bayon” was also launched. Recording work and study on the conservation method are advanced.

Activities at Bayon temple

Conservation and Restoration Project of Ta Prohm Temple
(A Partnership Project of Archaeological Survey of India and APSARA Authority)

1- Conservation works for the third enclosure, eastern side, south wing:
Dismantling of the gallery has been completed after documentation of the fallen stones. Excavation up to a width of 1.5m has been undertaken for exposing the plinth and studying the foundation.

2- Excavation:
Archeological Investigations on the site are being undertaken by the local Cambodian archeologists from APSARA Authority working in close coordination with ASI. A trench of 33.03m x 1.50m has been completed and more than 250 pieces of sandstone have been retrieved, along with many pottery pieces and different objects of archaeological relevance. Original laterite drain between the second and the third enclosure has been brought to light during the excavations.

3- Restoration of causeway between 3rd & 4th enclosure, west:
Conservation works of dismantling the sandstone blocks of the floor of the causeway between the third and the fourth enclosure on the western side is in progress. Foundation studies for the causeway and documentation of the stones have been completed.

4- Emergency Measures and Tourist circulation:
Readjusting and repositioning of the dangerously perched stones of north western tower on 1st enclosure and the attached gallery has been completed successfully. In order to facilitate convenient tourist access wooden stairs and platforms have been provided at five more locations between outer moat and 3rd enclosure, western side.

5- Other Activities:
Detailed graphic in situ documentation of Hall of dancers is in progress.
Hydrology experts have visited the site in April 2007 to address the issue of water stagnation in the temple complex. The method of trenchless technology is being adopted. For reversible interventions at the Eastern Pavilion of the fourth enclosure, L&T has finalized the proposal, which has been submitted to APSARA Authority for approval.

Dismantling of western causeway in progress

Original drain exposed in excavation (3rd enclosure gallery, east)

Repositioning of displaced stones of north-west gallery (3rd enclosure)

Archaeological research cooperation at Roluos

The 2007 excavation campaign of the French-Khmer archaeological mission on the territorial development of Angkor (MAFKATA), funded by the French national Commission of archaeology of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was carried out from March 5 to April 5, 2007. The team gathered, under the direction of C Pottier, two archaeologists from APSARA, Phoeung Dara and Phon Chea Kosal, A. Bolle and J.B. Chevance (INRAP), D. Soutif (Paris III) Kong Vireak, and two trainees E Bruneau and K Chmielczyk.

This campaign aimed this year to continue the work undertaken since 2004 in Roluos, namely to collect information in order to better understand and date the configuration of the city of Hariharalaya which constitutes the basic model of the angkorian capitals. After having tested a “rural” type settlement in Trapéang Phong, and the occupations around the religious centre in the vast enclosures of the pyramidal temple of Bakong, our works sought this year to supplement this layout by studying the royal palace, the last main element necessary to qualify the city as a capital. The problem was however that no one knew where this palace really was! During a conference in 1938, Coedès had certainly proposed two candidates, Prei Monti or Prah Kô, but research had never been made to solve the question.

Various elements suggested us to look for this palace in Prei Monti, although the only remain there, apart from the moat which delimits a vast quadrilateral of 800 m by 530 m, was a small unfinished temple, presumably dating from Indravarman, located in a peculiar way in this enclosure. The excavations consisted of the opening of 6 pits in the north-eastern quadrant of the large quadrilateral, including 5 trenches over an overall length exceeding 400 m. These sections remain however limited compare to the scale of the site; they thus allowed only one first outline of its occupation.

They revealed the existence of two enclosing walls of bricks around the temple, and a later Angkorian occupation in its precincts. A long trench in the west of the temple, dug until the center of the quadrilateral, showed some remains of drains and buildings covered with earthenware tiles, whereas another trench in the north revealed the existence of some large timber structures and an associated dense occupation. The artefacts collected there are still to be fully analyzed, but their general assemblage presents an exceptional and completely unique quantity of ceramics imported from China and from the Middle East around the 9th century.

One could not be too categorical at this stage of the study and other excavations will still be necessary to show the existence of a palace. But the remains of structures and the collected material, very different from any occupations identified elsewhere in Roluos, strongly suggest the elitist statute of the place and thus provide the first base to consider Prei Monti as the site of the royal palace of Hariharalaya.

Excavation at Roluos

Drawing the stratigraphy