Abstract
Sambor Prei Kuk is the site of an ancient city called īçānapura, which flourished as the capital of Chenla in the late 6th early 7th century. This capital was home to several Hindu temples that marked the start of a process of architectural evolution culminating in the spectacular architecture of the Khmer civilization, as exemplified in Angor Wat. During pre-Angkorian times before the foundation of Khmer Empire in the beginning of 9th century, religious places generally consisted of a single brick shrine, in contrast to the large and varied temple complexes that emerged later. However, current comprehensive field research in the archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk recorded a number of unknown brick structures and diverse temple layouts by composing several structures. Among these, three temple complexes stand out for their distinctive features: Prasat Sambor, Prasat Yeai Poeun, and Prasat Tao. These temple complexes consisted of square enclosures with a central shrine at the center and numerous other structures in the adjacent precinct, and were the prototype of the three different types of temple complexes in the Angkorian period. This article focuses on the layout of these three temple complexes to reveal the fundamental components and principle layout of temple complexes in the early stage of development and illustrate the progression to more complexities in temple construction in the later period. Based on the precise analysis of the dimensional layout of Prasat Sambor, along with findings from archeological surveys, it was revealed that this temple complex embodied the features of the pyramidal state-temples that served as the central religious facility of their respective periods. Additionally, from an analysis of their dimensional layout, the planning techniques for the temple complex, as well as the unit of construction measure used for planning this temple, were identified.
Highlights
Sambor Prei Kuk is the site of an ancient city called Īçānapura, which flourished as the capital of Chenla in the late 6th early 7th century
Based on the precise analysis of the dimensional layout of Prasat Sambor, along with findings from archeological surveys, it was revealed that this temple complex embodied the features of the pyramidal state-temples that served as the central religious facility of their respective periods
During the 900-year period between the 7th century which formed the early kingdom in the pre-Angkorian period and the demise of the Khmer empire in 1431, around 15 pyramidal state-temples were built in Yaśodharapura, presently known as the Angkor monument site, and other locations
Summary
During the 900-year period between the 7th century which formed the early kingdom in the pre-Angkorian period and the demise of the Khmer empire in 1431, around 15 pyramidal state-temples were built in Yaśodharapura, presently known as the Angkor monument site, and other locations. The kings who succeeded the throne of Khmer empire had many different duties to discharge to preserve and enhance the state, but three royal duties were considered crucial: executing public works such as water management and transport infrastructure, building temples to ancestral deities including the ruler’s predecessors, and building state-temples that symbolized royal authority When it came to state-temples, few rulers ever built them due to the sizable labor force required for their construction. In 2017, the temple zone was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in recognition of the historic value This ancient city was identified as Īçānapura, the capital of Chenla, based on Chinese sources and inscriptions which were discovered in this archaeological site. 2) To clarify the differences and features of three large temple complexes which were composed of multiple shrines and enclosures in Sambor Prei Kuk. 3) To clarify the significant status of Prasat Sambor as the prototype of pyramidal state-temples which were representing each period of the classical Angkor. 5) To discuss the role of the temple complexes in the pre-Angkorian period for establishing the typology of significant number of subsequent temples and illustrating the chronological development of temple complexes in the later Angkorian period
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