Spatial and Chronological Sketch of the Ancient City of Sambor Prei Kuk Ichita Shimoda and Sae Shimamoto he development of Khmer architecture and cities began before the T founding of the Angkor Dynasty in the ninth century. Some of the most SIGNIÎCANTVESTIGESOFEARLY+HMERCULTURECANBEFOUNDAT3AMBOR0REI+UK IN +OMPONG4HOMPROVINCE APPROXIMATELYKMSOUTHEASTOF!NGKOR4HESITEIS IDENTIÎEDWITHČĺãNAPURA THECAPITALCITYOFTHESEVENTH CENTURY:HENLAKINGDOM mentioned in the Khmer epigraphic corpus and in Chinese historical documents. .UMEROUSWELL PRESERVEDARCHAEOLOGICALREMAINSARECONCENTRATEDINTHEAREA4HE SCULPTURES STRUCTURES ANDTEMPLESOF3AMBOR0REI+UKREPRESENTASIGNIÎCANTSTAGE INTHEDEVELOPMENTOF+HMERARTS4HATIS BYASSIMILATING)NDIANANDOTHERFOREIGN CULTURALINÏUENCESWHILEMAINTAININGTHEORIGINALCULTUREOFTHELAND THEYCONSTITUTE AÎRSTSTEPINTHEINDIGENIZATIONPROCESSTHATWOULDEVENTUALLYLEADTOANARTISTIC style unique to Khmer culture. -ANYSTUDIESEMPHASIZINGTHEHISTORICALVALUEOF3AMBOR0REI+UKHAVEBEEN PUBLISHEDTODATE BUTMOSTOFTHEON SITEEMPIRICALSURVEYSWERECONDUCTEDINTHE ÎRSTHALFOFTHETWENTIETHCENTURY3INCETHEN NOFURTHERÎELD WORKWASCONDUCTED UNTILTHETURNOFTHECENTURYWHENTHE3AMBOR0REI+UK#ONSERVATION0ROJECT3#0 LEDNEWARCHAEOLOGICALSURVEYSONTHESITEINORDERTORE EXAMINETHEUNDERSTANDING OFTHEBASICSTRUCTUREOFTHEANCIENTCITYOFČĺãNAPURA4HISPAPERPRESENTSASYNTHESIS OFTHERESULTSOFTHE3AMBOR0REI+UK#ONSERVATION0ROJECTRESEARCH4HEGENERAL IMAGEOFTHEMONUMENTSTHATITPROVIDESISONLYTENTATIVEANDWILLNEEDTOBEREÎNED ONTHEBASISOFFUTURESTUDIES BUTITDIլERSSIGNIÎCANTLYFROMTHEIMAGETHATWAS SUGGESTEDBYTHEÎRSTSURVEYS 4HISPAPERWILLÎRSTSKETCHABRIEFACCOUNTOFTHERESEARCHHISTORYOFTHE MONUMENTS.EXTITWILLDESCRIBETHENATURALLANDSCAPESURROUNDINGTHEMONUMENTS ANDGIVEANOVERVIEWOFTHESTRUCTURESANDOFTHELOCATIONOFTHENEWLYDOCUMENTED Aséanie 30, décembre 2012, p. 1-xxx 3011-v2.indd 1 15/09/13 09:00 Aséanie 30 | 2012 Ichita Shimoda and Sae Shimamoto SITES4HEDETAILEDSTUDYOFINSCRIBEDMATERIALS SCULPTURES ARCHITECTURALELEMENTS AS WELLASOFSOMELIMITEDEXCAVATIONSWILLLEADTOCHRONOLOGICALCONSIDERATIONSSHOWING HOWTHIS0RE !NGKORIANPERIODCITYWASALSOOCCUPIEDINTHE!NGKORIANPERIOD Background 4HEÎRSTACCOUNTOF3AMBOR0REI+UKWASWRITTENINBY!DHMARD,ECLRE A&RENCHPROVINCIALGOVERNORIN#AMBODIA,ECLRE (EREPORTEDONA TOTALOFTHIRTEENSANCTUARIES INCLUDINGTHESANCTUARIESAT0RASAT3AMBORANDTHOSE to the north of Prasat Sambor and at Prasat Tao.4HEREAFTER TIENNE!YMONIERGAVE ANOVERVIEWOFTHEMONUMENTS BASEDON,ECLREÁSREPORT!YMONIER )N TIENNE,UNETDE,AJONQUIRECONDUCTEDAPARTIALSURVEYOFTHEMONUMENTS BUTHISREPORTWASLIMITEDTOSIXTEENSANCTUARIESINANDAROUND0RASAT3AMBOR,UNET DE,AJONQUIRE (EALSODESCRIBEDANINSCRIPTIONONTHEDOORJAMBOF TOWER.- THATWASTHEÎRSTREPORTEVERCONCERNINGTHEINSCRIPTIONSFOUND ONTHESITE(EPUBLISHEDTHEÎRSTMAPOFTHECOMPLEX ALTHOUGHTHATMAPDIDNOT ACCURATELYSHOWTHERESPECTIVEPOSITIONSOFTHESANCTUARIES PERHAPSBECAUSETHEY WEREBURIEDWITHINDEEPFOREST)N 'EORGES-ORANDCONDUCTEDASURVEYAND LABELLEDTWENTYNEWSANCTUARIES-ORAND 4HEÎRSTRESEARCHERTOACTUALLYSTUDY3AMBOR0REI+UKINDEPTHWAS(ENRI 0ARMENTIER!FTERSURVEYINGTHEMONUMENTSINAND HEPRESENTEDAPERSPEC TIVEDIլERENTFROMHISPREDECESSORS(EREGARDEDTHEMONUMENTSASANEXTREMELY IMPORTANT LARGE SCALECOMPLEXTHATHECONSIDEREDASTHEEPITOMEOFÀPRIMITIVE+HMER ARTÁ ACONCEPTHEFORGEDASOPPOSEDTOTHELATERÀCLASSIC+HMERARTÁCHARACTERISTIC OFTHE!NGKORIANPERIOD$URINGHISSURVEY 0ARMENTIERCLEAREDTHEFORESTAND DISCOVEREDANINSCRIPTIONWHICHPROVIDEDPROOFTHAT0RASAT9EAI0OEUNWASBUILT DURINGTHEREIGNOF+INGČĺãNAVARMAN)INTHEEARLYSEVENTHCENTURY0ARMENTIER &INOT ,OUIS&INOT WHODECIPHEREDTHEINSCRIPTION LATER STATEDTHATTHESITECOULD WITHOUTDOUBT BEIDENTIÎEDWITHČĺãNAPURA THECAPITALOF ČĺãNAVARMAN) ALTHOUGHHEDIDNOTFOLLOWUPONTHISTHEORY&INOT )N HISSURVEY 0ARMENTIERDISCOVEREDANUMBEROFNEWSANCTUARIES4HERESULTSOF !CTUALLY 0ARMENTIERMENTIONSTHAT,ECLREIDENTIÎEDTWOTEMPLES0RASAT9EAI0OEUNAND 0RASAT4AO BUTTHATMAYBEAMISTAKE!CCORDINGTO,ECLREÁSDESCRIPTION ITISCLEARTHATHE IDENTIÎEDSEVENSHRINES# . ANDPOSSIBLYSIXOTHERS. . .AND. &ORUNKNOWNREASONS !YMONIERÁSOVERVIEWDIլERSFROM,ECLREÁSREPORTONAFEWPOINTS SUCH as the total number of structures and the shape of some of them. )NHISINVENTORY HENUMBERS0RASAT3AMBORÀ)+Á SHRINE.À)+Á SHRINE.À)+Á AND SHRINE.À)+Á &INOTSTUDIEDTHREEINSCRIPTIONSIN0RASAT9EAI0OEUNANDÎVEINSCRIPTIONSIN0RASAT3AMBOR(E CLAIMSTHAT0RASAT9EAI0OEUNWASCONSTRUCTEDBYČĺãNAVARMAN) ANDDATESTHESEINSCRIPTIONS TOTHESIXTHCENTURYOFTHEĹAKAERA BASEDONPALEOGRAPHICEVIDENCE 3011-v2.indd 2 15/09/13 09:00 3PATIALAND#HRONOLOGICAL3KETCHOFTHE!NCIENT#ITYOF3AMBOR0REI+UK HISSURVEYWERECOMPILEDIN,Á!RTKHMRPRIMITIF APUBLICATIONCONTAININGACOMPRE HENSIVERECORDOFATOTALOFSEVENTY TWOSTRUCTURES0ARMENTIER ,ATER 0ARMENTIERPUBLISHEDASUPPLEMENTTOHISREPORTCONTAININGNEWINFOR MATIONREVEALEDBYANEXCAVATIONSURVEYCONDUCTEDBY6ICTOR'OLOUBEWIN 0ARMENTIER 'OLOUBEW 4HEEXCAVATIONWASCONTINUEDIN BY,ON&OMBERTAUX4HERESULTSOFTHESERIESOFSTUDIESCONDUCTEDBY0ARMENTIER PROVIDEDTHEMOSTEXTENSIVEACCOUNTBASEDONÎELD WORK ANDTHEGENERALIMAGEHE presented has become the commonly established image of the site. )TWAS'OLOUBEWWHODISCOVEREDTHEREMAINSOFANANCIENTCITYASSOCIATEDWITH THEMONUMENTS)N HESPOTTEDVESTIGESOFAKMÜKMSQUAREMOATDURINGAN AERIALSURVEY'OLOUBEW ANDCAPTUREDAERIALPHOTOGRAPHSOFTHEMIN 'OLOUBEW 3INCETHELOCATIONOFTHEVESTIGESWESTOFTHETEMPLEZONE ÎTSWITHTHEDESCRIPTIONOFTHECITYOFČĺãNAPURAGIVENIN#HINESEHISTORICALRECORDS 'OLOUBEWSPECULATEDTHATTHEAREAWITHINTHEMOATWASTHEANCIENTCITYBUILTDURING THEREIGNOFČĺãNAVARMAN)(OWEVER HEDIDNOTCONDUCTANYIN DEPTHÎELDRESEARCH and no researcher after him ever surveyed the area. )NLATERYEARS 'EORGE#²DSANALYZEDANDRE INTERPRETEDTHEINSCRIPTIONS DISCOVEREDATTHESITE#²DS #²DSIDENTIÎEDTHENAMESOF ČĺãNAPURIANDČĺãNAPURAININSCRIPTIONS+AND+ THUSCONÎRMING&INOTÁS EARLIERIDENTIÎCATIONOF3AMBOR0REI+UKWITHČĺãNAPURA(OWEVER BASEDONHISOWN RESEARCHANDASSUMINGTHAT0RASAT3AMBOR 0RASAT9EAI0OEUN 0RASAT4AO ANDNEARBY SANCTUARIESFORMEDÀUNENSEMBLEPUREMENTRELIGIEUXÁIEASITECONTAININGEXCLU SIVELYRELIGIOUSSTRUCTURES #²DSAGREEDWITH'OLOUBEWINSITUATINGTHEANCIENT CITYOFČĺãNAPURAWITHINTHEMOAT SURROUNDEDAREA#²DS 3TUDIESOFTHESITECONDUCTEDTHEREAFTERINCLUDEARCHAEOLOGICALEXCAVATION SURVEYSBY"ERNARD 0HILIPPE'ROSLIERINTHES ASERIESOFICONOGRAPHICCOMPARA TIVESTUDIESBETWEEN)NDIANAND+HMERARTS"NISTI)NDORF ADISCUSSION OFWATERMANAGEMENTVAN,IERE ANDEPIGRAPHICSTUDIES*ACQUES 6ICKERY ,OCATIONOFTHE3AMBOR0REI+UK3ITE 4HESITEISLOCATEDONTHEWESTBANKOFTHE3EN2IVER ATRIBUTARYOFTHE4ONLE 3AP2IVER WHICHÏOWSSOUTHWARDINGENTLECURVES4HE3EN2IVERORIGINATESFROMTHE SOUTHSIDEOFTHE$ANGREK-OUNTAINS ANDALONGITSWATERSHEDLAYLARGE SCALE+HMER MONUMENTSSUCHAS0REAH6IHEAR .EAK"UOS AND+OH+ER ASWELLASNUMEROUS 'OLOUBEWREPORTSMAINLYONTHEEXCAVATIONSURVEYIN0RASAT9EAI0OEUN BUTHEALSOMENTIONS TWENTY FOURUNEXPLOREDÀPRASATÁINTHEFORESTOF/+ROU+E!LTHOUGHHEDOESNOTPROVIDEA DETAILEDRECORD SOMEOFTHEMMIGHTHAVEBEENLOCATEDINTHEMOATEDCITYZONE 2ECENTLY "NISTIÁSMANYWORKS ORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDINTHEBEFEO and !RTS!SIATIQUES WERE TRANSLATEDINTO%NGLISHANDPUBLISHED"NISTI 3011-v2.indd 3 15/09/13 09:00 Aséanie 30 | 2012 Ichita Shimoda and Sae Shimamoto SMALLERSTRUCTURES&IG )TISEASYTOIMAGINEHOWTHE3EN2IVERHADSERVEDASA MAJORTRANSPORTATIONROUTEINTHEPAST4OTHEWESTOFTHE3EN2IVERANDNEARTHE MONUMENTSSPREADSABACKMARSHAREATHATISABOUTKMWIDE)NADDITIONTOTHE LARGESWAMPCALLED"OEUNG#HEA+AY THEAREAISENTIRELYCOVEREDBYPADDYÎELDS &URTHERWESTOFTHELOWLAND THEREISAPLATEAUABOUTMHIGHERTHANTHELOWLAND 4HEMAJORMONUMENTSSTANDONTHISPLATEAU Phimai LAOS Wat Phu THAILAND Preah Vihear Pr. Ta Muen Thom Banteay Chhmar Neak Buos Koh Ker Beng Mealea Angkor r Royal Road e Preah Khan v Ancient Road i R n e CAMBODIA S Prasat Andet Sambor Prei Kuk &IGURE$ISTRIBUTIONOFTHEMAJOR+HMERSITES 4HEENTIRETYOFTHESITEISSITUATEDONAGENTLEINCLINEFROMNORTHTOSOUTH IN ARELATIVELYÏATAREAATANALTITUDEOFMTOM!SMALLRIVERCALLED/+ROU+E ÏOWSSOUTHWARDTHROUGHTHECENTEROFTHESITE4WOSMALLRIVERSMERGETOFORMTHE/ +ROU+E2IVERTOWARDTHENORTHERNPARTOFTHESITE WHICHÏOWSTHROUGHAM DEEP VALLEYÏOORDOWNSTREAMOFTHECONÏUENCE4HERIVERÏOWSTAGNATESNEARTHECENTER OFTHESITE ANDFORMSA6 SHAPEDSWAMPDURINGTHERAINYSEASON&URTHERSOUTH THE RIVERÏOWSINTOTHEBACKMARSHOFTHE3EN2IVER4HECOURSEOFTHE/+ROU+E2IVER SPLITSTHESITEINTOTWOSPECIÎCZONESWHICHWEWILLHERECALLTHEÀTEMPLEZONEÁAND THEÀMOATEDCITYZONEÁ3EVERALVESTIGESOFDIKESRESEMBLINGDAMSWEREIDENTIÎEDIN DIRECTIONSPERPENDICULARTOTHERIVER ANDARECTANGULARWATERTANKMEASURINGM SOUTH EASTANDMNORTH SOUTHFORSTORAGEOFTHISRIVERWATERISLOCATEDATTHEEAST SIDEOF0RASAT2OBANG2OMEASAND0RASAT3REI+RUP,EAK 3011-v2.indd 4 15/09/13 09:01 3PATIALAND#HRONOLOGICAL3KETCHOFTHE!NCIENT#ITYOF3AMBOR0REI+UK $ISTRIBUTIONOF.EWLY$OCUMENTED3TRUCTURES 2ECENTAERIALPHOTOGRAPHSSHOWVESTIGESOFTHESAMEMOATTHATWASDISCOV EREDBY'OLOUBEWINTHEFIRSTHALFOFTHETWENTIETHCENTURY The Sambor Prei +UK#ONSERVATION0ROJECTCONDUCTEDSURVEYSOFTHEAREASINSIDEANDOUTSIDETHE MOAT BUTTHESEWEREHAMPEREDBYTHEDENSEFORESTANDBYFLOODSDURINGTHERAINY season. Consequently adequate surveys must still be conducted in these areas. "ESIDES WHEREASAPEDESTRIANSURVEYWASSYSTEMATICALLYCONDUCTEDINSIDETHE MOAT THESURVEYOFTHEAREAOUTSIDETHEMOATCONSISTEDONLYOFINTERVIEWSWITH LOCALRESIDENTS4HEREFORE WECANEXPECTTHATFURTHERSURVEYSWILLREVEALMORE archaeological vestiges. Parmentier labelled the brick sanctuaries at Sambor Prei Kuk based on a REPARTITIONINDIFFERENTGROUPS ASFOLLOWS#TO#FORTHESHRINESOFTHEÀ#ENTRAL 'ROUPÁCENTEREDAROUND0RASAT4AO.TO.FORTHEONESOFTHEÀ.ORTHERN'ROUPÁ CENTEREDAROUND0RASAT3AMBORANDNORTHOFTHISTEMPLEINCLUDING0RASAT3ANDAN 3TO3FORTHEONESOFTHEÀ3OUTHERN'ROUPÁCENTEREDAROUND0RASAT9EAI0OEUN AND:TO: 4 5 6 9AND7FORTHESHRINESLOCATEDINTHESURROUNDINGSOFTHE THREEMAINGROUPS!DDITIONALLY THESANCTUARIESOF0RASAT2OBANG2OMEASAND 0RASAT3REI+RUP,EAKWERENUMBERED+TO+AND,TO,4HESENUMBERSARE