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226 Till F. Sonnemann Chapter 17 Discovery and Interpretation of a Buried Temple in the Angkor Wat Enclosure Till F. Sonnemann Abstract An extensive ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey in the western part of the enclosure of Angkor Wat revealed the remains of a buried and demolished structure that consisted of six definite towers and potentially as many as nine towers. The structures were enclosed by a rectangular laterite wall and had probably been demolished before the western entrance gate was built. The symmetrical alignment of the foundations with the towers of the western gopura however implies a significant impact on the construction of the gate. Analysis of the GPR data in conjunction with the evaluation of results from preceding research was followed by excavations as part of the Greater Angkor Project. The combined results now allow a preliminary discussion of the successive construction and demolition phases on the western side of the Angkor Wat enclosure. The study indicates that the history of Angkor extends beyond its visible temples and that much of its history is buried beneath the ground. The survey demonstrates that there is a substantial need for research within temple enclosures and highlights the importance of archaeological prospection at Angkor. Introduction Extensive ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys in the western part of the enclosure of Angkor Wat [Fig. 17.1] have revealed the remains of dismantled and buried structures adjacent to Gopura 4 West (G4W), the principal entrance gate of Angkor Wat. The findings comprise six definite laterite bases of towers. These towers were in symmetrical alignment with the gate and the main temple of Angkor Wat and appear to be enclosed by a rectangular laterite wall, the remains of which are extant on the eastern side of the gate. There is evidence that they were constructed prior to the entrance gate of Angkor Wat, indicating the potential existence of three more towers that were demolished when G4W was built. The pattern is consistent with the form of an Angkorian period temple with a quincunx of towers enclosed by four additional towers. Covering an area of nearly 4.3ha, mainly between the western moat and the main temple of Angkor Wat, the GPR survey was conducted to identify possible buried structures and preceding architectural configurations. In additional to the large range of subsurface structural features in symmetrical alignment, primarily east and west of Gopura 4 West, two linear masonry features were detected which indicate the original alignment of the southern road leading from the southern pavilion of Gopura 4 West (the southern “Elephant Gate”) straight to the southwest side of the main temple. This paper focuses on the presentation of results and interpretation of the GPR survey undertaken at Angkor Wat. The discovery of the foundations demonstrates that the history of Angkor cannot be read solely from its visible temples and what is observable on the surface. There is a substantial need for research within temple enclosures and the survey demonstrates the importance of archaeological prospection at Angkor. 226 Connecting Empires hi res combin226 226 8/24/2012 9:47:53 PM 227 Discovery and Interpretation of a Buried Temple in the Angkor Wat Enclosure Previous Work in the Study Area The temple of Angkor Wat was constructed in the 12th century. Archaeological research at Angkor Wat started in the beginning of the 20th century. Since then it has been cleared of rubble, partly reconstructed, conserved and comprehensively analyzed. Archaeological campaigns by the École Française d’Extrême Orient (EFEO) led by Henri Parmentier in 1919 (Parmentier 1919) and Henri Marchal in 1920 and (Marchal 1920) concentrated on the area around Gopura 4 West [Fig. 17.2]. The initial work removed debris and two small mounds, which were interpreted as 19th century stupa, located east of the gopura to the north and south of the causeway. The excavation also revealed several laterite columns and platforms which were identified as post-Angkorian additions. Except for smaller excavations by EFEO archaeologist Jean Boisselier in 1951, who drew architectural plans of the earlier excavated platforms and unearthed additional laterite walls, most of the zone south of the main axial causeway has been left undisturbed. Today a small mound remains to the southeast of G4W and rises to about 1.5m above the base height at the bottom of the causeway. In the 1960s the area north of the main causeway was leveled and the columns removed by Bernard Philippe Groslier in an effort to reinstitute the “original” state of...

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