New Clues to Angkor's Secrets

Recent discoveries of ancient kilns in the Angkor area are causing a stir among professional archaeologists and amateurs alike. 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 shards. A de-mining 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. Though this may be far from the thoughts or planned objectives of development agencies, international founders or private investors, increased knowledge of Cambodia's past may prove to be one of the most important benefits of nascent economic and political stability. 

What first appeared to be isolated kilns are in fact turning out to be whole centres of ceramic production. At least three different sites have so far been identified to the northeast of the Angkor Archaeological Park. Set amongst villages and rice fields, the kilns themselves appear to the naked eye as simple mounds - nothing more than natural variations in a typical Khmer landscape. 

Buried deep within the land are not only the kilns themselves but also layers and layers of whole or fragmented pots and vases, urns and roof tiles. Many are 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 bygone times. All will undoubtedly serve as precious clues to further unravel the secrets of Angkor. 

PROMISING RESEARCH 

The great temples scattered across the Angkorian plain testify to the accomplishments Cambodia's ancient Kings, to the aesthetic refinement and artisan skill of its people, to religious fervor and stately might.

For more than a century, researchers have meticulously studied Angkor's architecture, religious art and stone inscriptions to reconstruct the history of an empire. We now know the order of regal succession and the feats of great Kings.

Much. indeed, has been learned, yet more remains still to be discovered. How, for example, did the ordinary people of Angkor live? How did they store their water, their wax, their honey? How did the common people bury their dead? Did they use plates and bowls? If so, what were they made of? Who made them and how? 

The discovery of kiln sites may help us to fill in some of the blanks in Khmer history. We know the great names and events; and we will soon know more about daily life in Angkor.

Kilns producing green-glazed pottery were discovered by researchers in the Kulen mountains north of the Angkor plain around the turn of the century, but the vicissitudes of history have prevented true research of these sites. 

A number of Khmer kilns located on the territory of modern Thailand have been more thoroughly studied, revealing techniques and styles of this ancient Khmer province. Much speculation has been made regarding Angkorian production itself. 

Though Khmer pottery is found in abundance throughout the Archaeological Park, there is still little understanding as to exactly when, where and how it was made. or for what purposes it was meant. Certain types of ware are thought to have been produced only in the provinces, and transported for use in the capital. Many imagine that foreign imports - especially Chinese - may have been used primarily in the royal court. while Khmer products had more mundane uses. 

Techniques and styles are thought to have received considerable influence from China. Much remains to be learned about these and other important questions. Indeed. as knowledge of evolution in ceramic technique and design is one key factor in dating structures. archaeologists expect these recent kiln site discoveries to increase our understanding of the chronological progression of the Angkorian civilization. 

CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT

This facet of Cambodia's cultural heritage, this key to understanding Cambodia's daily past must be carefully protected from looters and black marketers. To this effect, APSARA has begun work with villagers and local authorities to encourage full community participation in national cultural heritage protection. For these communities, the benefits of protection have already begun to outweigh any "benefits" once gained through destruction. Local antique dealers and customs officers are also co-operating to discourage further damage to this irreplaceable component of Cambodia's cultural heritage. 

Finally, as the problem of looting ancient Khmer sites is fundamentally international in nature, foreign research institutions, development agencies, art connoisseurs and other friends of Cambodia also have an important role to play in protecting this heritage. 

Situated within the Angkor Park, the kiln sites are in fact integral to a registered World Heritage Site. In this light, APSARA has solicited the assistance of the international community in all aspects of the project. International research teams have surveyed the various sites, and are currently working with APSARA to develop a global research program not only aimed at increasing general knowledge on Khmer civilization, but also to integrate local community participation in research itself. 

CONCERTED EFFORT TO RAISE AWARENESS

UNESCO funds allocated to the community development component of this project have allowed APSARA to collaborate with the Siem Reap Land Survey Service and  Japan's Sophia University and Nara Cultural Properties Research Institute in carrying out a topographical survey of the Tani site. These efforts are complemented by an increase in local awareness of the cultural and historical value of the sites themselves. 

In the framework of APSARA, the international community strives to encourage and assist local community development initiatives. For instance, UNESCO funds will be used to support local initiatives for reforestation of the village site. Assistance is also being given in the reconstruction of a local Buddhist temple. A site model is to be built in view of increasing local understandings of the cultural site. Japanese research teams are working with APSARA not only to carry out research but also to train young Khmer archaeologists in the field. 

Other research institutions active at the Angkor site, such as the Ecole Francaise d'Extrême-Orient, the Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor, the World Monuments Fund, the Indonesian Technical Assistance for the Safeguarding of Angkor Team or the Royal Angkor Foundation, are invited to contribute skills and knowledge to the global project. 
Eventually, APSARA hopes to present the kiln sites not only to local inhabitants, but also to national and international visitors. Providing employment opportunities for villagers, a site museum will add a new dimension to the tourist experience at Angkor.

So long hidden from the world, Cambodia's buried treasures are finally being recovered and uncovered. The challenge now is to save them for posterity, to respect and appreciate their true and eternal value. With care. they will remain an inexhaustible resource for Cambodia's future. 

APSARA 

The Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap, otherwise known as APSARA, was created by Royal Decree in February of 1995. APSARA's jurisdiction extends across the 10,000 square kilometers which comprise the province of Siem Reap, an area encompassing a large part of the nation's monumental heritage, incomparable environmental treasures and the rich food resources provided by the lower plain and the Tonle Sap lake. Exercising financial and operational autonomy, yet mandated by the highest levels of national government, APSARA ensures the protection, development and healthy exploitation of these national resources within the framework of newly defined zoning regulations conceived to this effect.