The Sandstone Quarries of the Angkor Monuments in the Southeastern Foothills of Kulen Mountain

Etsuo Uchida,Motoki Murasugi,Ichita Shimoda,Yuichiro Sakurai,Ryota Watanabe

doi:10.4236/ad.2020.83012

Abstract

The Angkor monuments in Cambodia were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site and consist of Buddhist or Hindu temples built mainly of sandstone and laterite. We surveyed the area around a 2 km east-west bank in Kulen Mountain’s southeastern foothills for Angkor’s sandstone quarries and confirmed 145 locations. Because the magnetic susceptibilities and size of sandstone blocks at Angkor changed systematically over time, we measured these aspects at each quarry. Based on this data, we identified seven Angkor quarrying areas (Areas A to G). The results clarified that in the Angkor period, sandstone block quarrying began near the bank’s eastern end, then moved counterclockwise to the north side of the bank. Because quarries are important Angkor period heritage sites, they should be designated as conservation areas for their protection.

Highlights

As one of the world’s largest pre-industrial cities, Angkor is among Cambodia’s most important archaeological sites
It has long been known that gray-yellowish brown sandstone quarries, which were used for the construction of the Angkor monuments, are located on the southeastern foothills of Kulen Mountain (Garnier, 1873; Delaporte, 1880; Delvert, 1963; Boulbet, 1979)
Uchida and Shimoda (2013) tried to identify the quarrying period of the discovered sandstone quarries. They concluded that quarries used in the early Angkor period have not been discovered

Summary

Introduction

As one of the world’s largest pre-industrial cities, Angkor is among Cambodia’s most important archaeological sites. Located in the current Siem Reap Province, it consists of monuments constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries AD (hereafter, assume all dates are AD). Studying the temples’ construction materials has led to several key findings. While some 9th to 10th century Angkor temples contained bricks, sandstone and laterite were the primary construction materials used. The Angkor monuments contain three types of sandstone: gray-yellowish.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion