Have fun chatting with archaeologists, trace the city of Si Thep, a world heritage site, a sacred land of prosperity, to an abandoned city with no inscription of its origins…
Now the name “Sri Thep Historical Park” It is being talked about because of the World Heritage Committee or UNESCO has been declared to be “World Cultural Heritage” It is considered the 4th location in Thailand after the historical city of Sukhothai. The historical city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and Ban Chiang archaeological site and is the seventh World Heritage Site of Siam.
A brief history of Sri Thep city According to the Fine Arts Department, it is considered an ancient city in Si Thep Subdistrict, Si Thep District, Phetchabun Province. It is classified as a highland area. Linked to being a source of product exchange Culture between the northeastern region It has been important since prehistoric times. including the ancient Khmer culture (8th-18th Buddhist centuries) with a total area of approximately 1.87 square kilometers or approximately 1,300 rai. There are historical sites scattered in 48 areas such as Khao Khlang Nai, Prang Si Thep and Prang Song Phi Nong.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kangwon Kachshima, Lecturer, Department of Oriental Languages, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University and experts in philosophy, Buddhism, linguistics (Khmer) lectures to “Sri Thep City” That predates history, which was originally inhabited here about 1,700-1,800 years ago. But the problems of Si Thep City are Inscriptions were seldom written. As far as looking at the ancient remains and antiquities, it is believed that the people who lived there were civilized. and technology, such as transporting stones from places other than Thailand Creating various jewelry, etc.
What’s interesting is that the “location” of Si Thep is different from other cities, where normally prosperous cities are located near rivers. or not far from the sea But the city of Sri Thep back deep in the earth So why is it prosperous? and during the same period It is also the most prosperous city. About a thousand years ago
Srithep’s identity and strangeness, no record of origin
The identity of Si Thep city is the large Suriya god (different from the smaller Khmer). There are many of them, which is strange is that they have never been found in the past in our area. The important thing is that the civilization that appears has the characteristics of “ Central Asia” What can be seen is the clothes worn by ancient civilizations. and is mixed
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kangwon said that because Si Thep city has various religions and civilizations. But there were many things that stood out, such as the large Shiva and Vishnu statues, which were thought to be the main religions at that time, but… it was found that Buddhism was mixed in as well, such as the discovery of a large Dharmachakra. Located in the area of Prasat Klang Nai, there are also “inscriptions” on various religious topics.
“The strangest thing. What appears only in Si Thep City is a set of clay Buddha amulets with the name of ‘Luang Chin’ engraved on the back of the Buddha image, built after the entrance to Si Thep City, which is believed to have been built during the 13th Buddhist century. 14 or about 1,200 years ago, this is the ‘clarity’ that can be seen that There are foreigners traveling into Si Thep city. In addition to the Indian civilization already There are also Chinese people coming in. This is important evidence that has never been seen anywhere else…”
The appearance of a Chinese monk in Sri Thep city How important is it…Professor Kangwon explained that in the past we may have known that there was “Phra Tang Samjang” headed towards India, Chinese monk Yijing Chinese King Fahian Travel to the sea, go to Indonesia, before going to India.
But why is this Chinese monk have to scramble Traveling to Sri Thep means that this place must be a sacred place. Or is it very important in the region? And from a survey of Khao Klang Nok, it was determined that it was similar to “Nalanta” which was the first Buddhist college in India. Or maybe this was a reason similar to that of Phra Tang Samjang. then traveled to India This is an assumption…
Sri Thep Holy Land There is no inscription of the place.
Meaning “Sri Thep” is not a city of trade. And I’m not sure if it’s a holy city. Is it important in Buddhism? Regarding this issue, Professor Kangwon said that The reason why Si Thep City is not clear in any way is because there is no “inscription” to indicate it.
Location of the city, appearance, environment, various components Like Khao Thamorarat It might mean This is the “Holy Land”. It’s just that what’s missing is an “inscription” that clearly states it… it hasn’t been found. For this reason, it can only be interpreted. And when an “inscription” that clearly states it is found, it will be told. can
Is this considered “strange” or not? Because it’s like an ancient ancient site in Cambodia. Many inscriptions have been written telling who built it, why and what was its purpose. But here there isn’t any. Ajahn Kangwon said that our central region It is different from other areas, for example in ancient Burma, it still writes about the past. tell a story What is its history? Who reigned? Why was it built? or even in Cambodia or Vietnam is written clearly
But…in the central region, like “Nakhon Pathom”, Dhammachakra can be found in tens, hundreds, or even in U Thong. It is clearly a big city, or “Sri Thep” itself is clearly a big city. But they did not write any inscriptions about the area.
Not being found means it doesn’t exist or is missing. Professor, Faculty of Archaeology Silpakorn University It is assumed that it may have existed and has not yet been found, or it may have disappeared. Even though there were many inscriptions found But most of them are inscribed But only the topic of Dhamma.
“Most of Buddhism He doesn’t often talk about himself. Because of fear that religion will disappear Because there had been a prediction that in the next 2,500 years Buddhism would begin to fade, or in 3,000 years the religion would disappear. Therefore, the inscriptions were often written about Dhamma, especially in pagodas or stupas, in order to know that in this land there used to be Buddhism. without thinking about myself.”
City plan of Si Thep and the power of faith
Designing various areas Both the city of Si Thep, Khao Thamorat or Khao Khlang Nok. What is the meaning of the design? Ajahn Kwon explains that normally in a city there must be a place of worship in the middle of the city. or city As for another sacred thing, the main place is Khao Thamorat or in Cambodia there is “Khao Phanom Bakheng” in the middle of the city.
Having these things means the “destination” of the ancient people that was shown from afar. Because of the time of travel in the past There is nothing to indicate it, so the creation may have looked at the highest point. To see it as clearly as possible
“When building a city You must build things that are typical of the city, such as temples that can be seen. which is sacred They might not be together. Everything must have a relationship. Therefore, for Srithep, Khao Thammarat is considered a sacred place. Enough to build a city, “Khao Khlang Nok” was designed to be the center of the city. By having a connection with the old things. And he filled Amorat himself Geography may not be suitable for building cities. because it is far from water
Prosperity to a deserted city
Knowing that “Sri Thep” flourished for 700 years, then why was it deserted? A famous archaeologist explains that every city that is deserted has a reason. Some cities were developed to their highest level. Until it can no longer be developed, it can be like there are too many people.
Or… having to face an epidemic And when there are many people injured and killed You may have to move to another city.
Or…there might be a war. and the forcible removal of people But usually time of war They often destroy cities as well. To prevent people from coming back to stay
But with Srithep, there was great prosperity. both in the Dvaravati period But in the 16th and 18th centuries, Khmer art began to emerge. Then, after the 18th Buddhist century, the Khmer empire declined in power. rule various kingdoms that used to be unable to be under the mandate, so they established themselves as the leader andThe method of building Ban Paeng Mueang was to “forcibly” people, and from observation, it was during that time that the city of Sukhothai or Ayutthaya was just starting to get big. May forcibly remove people from Sri Thep You can join together. As a result, the old city that used to be in that area became deserted.
This is the most likely assumption. Because from the study of King Jayavarman VII, after his death, the city was also abandoned.
Found ancient characters Link Thai letters
Professor Kangwon emphasized that the remaining civilization From the city of Sri Thep is the prosperity of the past. Especially various groups of idols They are very large. These things can reflect prosperity. Idol making large ancient site Labor and technology are required, including expert technicians. These systems must be consistent and grand.
“Personally, I teach about ‘stone inscriptions’ and from looking at characters. That was written at Sri Thep is the prototype of the first letters used for writing and the inscriptions that were written. There will be things about Brahmanism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.”
When asked why he thought it might be the beginning of the first Thai alphabet, Achan Kwon said that the letters that were written were It’s hardly the oldest. in all letters found in the country We received these letters from India. These letters are similar to the ancient letters of India, which are more than 1,500 years old. During the Khmer heyday, it was approximately 1,400 years ago.
Analyzing “Sri Thep” as a world heritage site, recommending traveling with knowledge of its value
Professor Kangwon concluded that even though Sri Thep is regarded as a world heritage site, This area has clearly seen evolution. It is a city that is starting to grow in the area. and received outside civilization to develop the city, and most importantly, we can still see the traces prosperity arrived at present Let us study and research.
When asked how many antiques were lost? Archaeological experts agree that more than 80% are missing, especially the “gold plates” and valuable items. Many things were not revealed. So I don’t know when it disappeared. and that is revealed Sometimes they are in foreign museums. Especially there are a lot of undisclosed items.
“What remains has already seen its greatness. Therefore, it is expected that The original one is available. There should be a lot. which we have the law But if something disappears before the law is in place It’s difficult to get it back. The important thing is to prove that it’s in this area first…even the monks on Khao Thamorat. very big and heavy There were still people who cut off the head and brought it down. There was even pressure to bring it back and give it back. The head is currently in the Bangkok Museum.”
What the ancestors created Like Khao Klang Nok and Khao Klang Nai, they were not made for tourism. But in order to be spiritual, to carry on religion, everything was created with physical effort. and faith Even though at present there are only remains But if we are going to travel You should also think about the mind of the creator. If we know the intention We will respect the places we will visit. which is believed to be a sensation and want to travel…
Thairath Online special news team reports
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2023-09-20 23:14:00
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