|
By: Phon Kaseka Abstract
In Cambodia, in depth research on ancient kiln sites and Khmer ceramics has only relatively recently commenced.
The Nara National Cultural Properties Research Institute has been working since 1996 with the APSARA authority and other international agencies, notably the Sophia International Angkor Mission, to research ancient kiln sites in the Angkor of Siem Reap province. A new discovery of an ancient kiln site at Chœung Ek, 5 km south of Phnom Penh, so impressed the author that he chose to write a thesis on “Ancient kiln site at Chœung Ek”. At the time, the site was not technically surveyed and some kilns were in a very serious condition due to local people farming and building in the area. Ethnic Sino Khmer also uses this site as a cemetery. Research on this topic basically depends on archeological methodology of surface shard collection. Ethno-archeological methodology is also included. There is earlier researche on the Chœung Ek site. G. Cœdès translated a text from the inscriptionK426 found at Wat Chœung Ek. H. Parmentier surveyed styles of architectural elements of a Khmer temple at the same site. Bruno Bruguier completed a general survey of Chœung Ek and published an aerial picture of a circular earthwork located in Chœung Ek. The Ministry of Fine Arts and Culture has also registered a lintel at Wat Chœung Ek in an inventory book (1982). Chœung Ek is located in Sangkat Chœung Ek, Khan Dangkor, Phnom Penh city. Choeng Ek belonged to Kandal province till 1985 when it was transferred to Phnom Penh. There is a huge lake in the area, which is a potential resource for villagers. There are 700 families in Chœung Ek village, which includes new comers. The majority of the villagers of Choeng Ek are farmers. They live to cultivate rice during two seasons per year. They follow Khmer traditions as other country people do. According to the aerial photograph and accompanying text by Bruno Bruguier, Chœung Ek (C.E.) is a pre-historical site with circular earthwork. Villagers have found stone tool (axes) while ploughing the field. Archaeological remains at C.E. site are useful resources for researching the history of the site. The architectural elements at Wat C.E. are lintels, column, pedestals, moonstones (hearthstones), doorframes and inscription. The decorations on lintel consist of foliage which is the characteristic of lintel belongs to Kampong Preah style. The column is cylindrical and the decoration belongs to Sambor Prei Kuk style. There are two pieces of lotus blossom-shaped ‘moonstones’. Each consists of 2 pieces - one piece of the moonstone has decoration of lotus blossom on the upper edge. The moonstone probably belongs to the pre-Angkorian period. There are 3 doorframes, one made of sandstone, and 2 others made of schist that is of the pre-Angkorian period. The 7th century inscription (K426) is currently being stored in the National Museum originates from Wat C.E. The inscription describes an offering (servants, cows, buffaloes, rice-field, rice, elephants, flooded fields, crop farming and boats) to an Acariya (Achar) named Acalesvara. In the text of inscription there is a term “Vrakamratan” that is a title used for those who have the highest position in society or for the king or Deva in Brahmanism. Khmer ancient kilns are found at many sites and surveys has been conducted on kilns at Phnom Kulen, and at Sisakhet, Surin and Buriram provinces in present-day Thailand. Some ancient kiln sites were recently found in the Angkor region such as Anlong Thom kiln site, Sorsey kiln site Tanu, Bakhong and Khna Po in Siem Reap. Recently several other ancient kilns have been found in the region of C.E., although to date these important remains of kilns have not been technically surveyed. There is vegetation on all these kiln sites that makes close inspection of some difficult. Some kilns still keep the shape as a small mound with bushes growing from the side and the top. There are potsherds spread on kilns and nearby pieces of kiln wall have also been found. The two different colours on the wall show as yellowish brown on the outer wall and of dark reddish brown is on the inner wall. Firing heat on the inner wall produced the colour of dark reddish brown on the inner wall. Further evidence is greenish glaze from ash adhered on pieces of the brick wall. After drawing a map showing the location of each kiln, those kilns are named, kiln1à kiln 7, kiln 9à kiln24. “Kiln 8” is actually a natural earth mound. There are 23 kilns on the site. Khmer produced ceramics at many sites for their daily and religious use. Ceramics are art objects showing a culture that has remained ‘undiscovered’ for hundreds of years. “Ceramics” was a topic that did not greatly interest traditional researchers. Khmer potters used two potting techniques; one is a wheel technique where the ceramic is “thrown”, while the other is a hand-built technique that uses paddle and anvil. The Khmers also had two firing techniques; the construction of a clay kiln was needed for firing stoneware ceramics to a temperature of 1,000-1,200 degrees centigrade. Potters also fired ceramics in the open air at much lower temperature of around 700 degrees centigrade. The principle glazes of Khmer ceramics are green and brown. Other colours in glazes result from varying amounts of iron in the clay and the varying firing temperature. Ceramics were mainly used for everyday life. Small and large bowls are used as water containers or rice containers. Wide-mouthed jars, jars with short necks, broad shoulders and small bases are used as water and liquid containers. The poor used a food bowl made of simple fired clay. The rich used a bowl made of bronze. High-ranking officials and the king used bowls made of silver and gold, and sometimes they used ceramics imported from foreign countries (in particular, China). The ceremonial use of ceramics has been seen in birth, ordination into the Buddhist monkhood, marriage and death. According to archeological evidence and the number of ceramics found, Khmer ceramics were probably not exported. China exported ceramics to Southeast Asia from 10th century, Cambodia imported these same ceramics from China. A circular earthwork at C.E. proves it is a pre-historical site; and pre-Angkorian lintels, columns, pedestals, doorframes, moonstones and an inscription suggest early styles. Additionally we can conclude Chœung Ek is an ancient kiln site. Potsherds, collected from the kiln site, are small and large but no entire bodies were found. Potsherds are mostly mouth rims, bases, shoulders, necks, spouts and body sections. Potsherds are divided into two categories: the first category is earthenware fired to a temperature of 800 degrees centigrade, not of good quality and not transparent. The second category is stoneware fired to a temperature of 1,200 degrees centigrade that do not allow transmission of water (sometimes a little water is absorbed and the sherds are not translucent; some are with glaze, others are without). According to close examination of the surface of each shard, ceramics from the kiln site were produced by using the wheel. Some ceramics were fired in kiln while others were fired in the open air. All potsherds from the C.E. kiln site are wasters, which is the reason a large number of wasters were found near the kilns. This normal practic3 as potters usually discard deformed vessels near the places of production. Based on the number of kilns found, I would like recommend to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to preserve and monitor this site as future archaeologists may wish to research this area in relation to the early history of the region. It is a site that obviously pre-dates Phnom Penh and may relate to an earlier habitation that was a forerunner of our capital. To preserve and make finds available to visitors (who may be close by at the Chœung Ek Killing Fields Site Museum), I would also suggest the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts construct a small site museum, to collect, label, and safeguard these important remnants before they are dispersed and disappear forever. Institution: Royal Academy of Cambodia Advisor: Prof. Pen Dareith (Ph.D) Degree: Master of Fine Arts in Archaeology Year: 2002 |
