Vat Phou in Laos, Stuff.co.nz 20111018

Vat Phou temple’s ancient history Stuff.co.nz, 18 October 2011

In the fifth century, Champasak was thought to be the centre of the Laotian universe. Today it’s a drowsy one-car village clutching the western [...]]]> A travel piece on Vat Phou, one of the earliest Angkor temples located Laos.

Vat Phou temple’s ancient history
Stuff.co.nz, 18 October 2011

In the fifth century, Champasak was thought to be the centre of the Laotian universe. Today it’s a drowsy one-car village clutching the western bank of the Mekong River in southern Laos and home to the tiny Hindu-built Vat Phou, which some archaeologists believe may have been the first Angkor temple ever built.

At a glance, Vat Phou doesn’t seem like the kind of structure that would initiate an empire. A tiny prayer hall at the top of a precarious stone stairway, with two reception halls on the plains below, Vat Phou lacks the jaw-dropping awesomeness of temples in Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park. But as with the Angkor temples, its symbolism is extraordinary.

Tucked under the phallic-shaped mountain peak of Phu Kao – thought to represent Mount Meru, the sacred mountain at the centre of the Hindu cosmology – Vat Phou was worshipped as the embodiment of Shiva. The spring nearby was associated with Shiva’s wife, the goddess Parvati. Water runs underground from Phu Kao’s peak, rising through Parvati. From here, passing a series of barays (man-made dams) and linga (phallic statues), water flows into the Mekong, blessing everything on its journey south.

Full story here.

Ancient skeleton found in central Vientiane Vientiane Times, via Asiaone News, 31 July 2011

An ancient skeleton, possibly up to 2,000 years old, has been found in central Vientiane.

The skeleton, unearthed during road works along Setthathirath [...]]]> A skeleton of a woman, estimated to be from the Bronze Age, was discovered during roadworks Vientiane.

Ancient skeleton found in central Vientiane
Vientiane Times, via Asiaone News, 31 July 2011

An ancient skeleton, possibly up to 2,000 years old, has been found in central Vientiane.

The skeleton, unearthed during road works along Setthathirath Road near Simeuang temple, is believed to be that of a middle-aged woman.

It has long been believed that Vientiane is full of ancient relics and artefacts lying possibly only 1 to 2m under the surface, and this is just the latest of several discoveries in the capital over the years.

A small artefact, potentially made of bronze, was found alongside the skeleton and is perhaps a rarer find than the skeleton itself.

Full story here.

Vat Phou, Bangkok Post 20110602

The charms of Champasak Bangkok Post, 02 June 2011

The hilltop Khmer temple is known as Vat Phou Temple [...]]]> A travel piece from the Bangkok post about traveling in Southern Laos – some of the ancient features being the Angkorian temples of Vat Phou and Vat Oum Muong.

The charms of Champasak
Bangkok Post, 02 June 2011

The hilltop Khmer temple is known as Vat Phou Temple complex. Listed as a World Heritage site in 2001, the Hindu shrine was built in the 7th century, during the pre-Angkorian period. The temple facing the river bank is 1.4 kilometres east to west, starting from lower land to the mountain top. At the entrance gate, you will see two large rectangular buildings believed to have been built for pilgrims. The buildings are under renovation with the cooperation with the Indian and French governments and are scheduled to be finished in 2017. The temple complex houses many beautiful lintels as well as stone apsaras decorating the walls of the main shrine like the design of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. To reach to the main shrine on the hill might be a bit of a challenge for the elderly to climb up the 77 steep steps. However, the view from the top is worth the effort. The sandstone ruins attract almost 500,000 visitors a year, half of them from abroad. Not far from the ruins is Vat Phou Museum which houses ancient items found in the temple and surroundings including linga and a variety of statues.

Vat Phou, Laos. Wikicommons image

India to renovate 11th century Shiva Temple in Laos Laos News.net, via ANI, 10 September 2010

India has agreed to renovate the Vat Phou or Wat Phou [...]]]> Vat Phou, a Khmer temple in Laos, is set to be renovated with the help of the Archaeological Survey of India.

India to renovate 11th century Shiva Temple in Laos
Laos News.net, via ANI, 10 September 2010

India has agreed to renovate the Vat Phou or Wat Phou temple complex in southern Laos as part of deepening cultural and historical ties which have existed between the two countries for more than 2000 years.

Wat Phou is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of Mount Phu Kao near the Mekong river in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the sixth century. The summit of Phu Kao is like Linga, the phallic symbol of Shiva, thus giving it the more popular name, Lingaparvat.

“It is an ongoing restoration project which started in 2009. The work restarts again after the end of rainy season in Lao. It will take seven years for completion of the project. It will also help us to understand common cultural heritage of Lao,” Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Vijaya Latha Reddy.

Secondary Burial from Tham An Mah. Image from the MMAP blog.

Iron Age discovery uncovers prehistoric burial customs in [...]]]> The Earth Times reports that the Middle Mekong Archaeological Project has discovered the first instance of a secondary burial in Laos. Read detail accounts of the recent fieldwork in Laos on the MMAP blog.

Iron Age discovery uncovers prehistoric burial customs in Laos
The Earth Times, 22 January 2009

The discovery of Iron Age human bone fragments in Laos has shed new light on the region’s prehistoric burial customs, state media reports said Friday. A team of Lao and foreign archeologists foundthe fragments last week in a burial ground believed to be about 2,000 years old when South-East Asia was in the Iron Age, the Vientiane Times reported.

The discovery was made during a dig known as the Middle Mekong Archaeological Project, which is a joint effort between Laos’ Department of Heritage and the University of Pennsylvania Museum in the United States.

“Last week, we unexpectedly found two skulls and a fragment of a third, a baby, along with some body bones,” said Joyce White, associate curator at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. “It is quite a significant discovery of Lao archaeology.”

photo credit: amsfrank

Buddha statues steal away in Luang Prabang Vientiane Times, via Asiaone, 07 May 2009

Some 100 statutes of Buddha have been stolen or lost in Luang Prabang [...]]]> 100 Buddha statues have been reported stolen from temples in the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, fuelled by the trade in antiquities.

photo credit: amsfrank

Buddha statues steal away in Luang Prabang
Vientiane Times, via Asiaone, 07 May 2009

Some 100 statutes of Buddha have been stolen or lost in Luang Prabang province over the past five years, according to a 2009 investigation report by the province’s Heritage Department.

That Luang temple and Vat Si Phouttabath have suffered the largest losses.

The report stated about 16 statues had also gone missing from Vat Xiengthong, one of the oldest temples in the province.

Luang Prabang Provincial Heritage Department Deputy Director, Mr Bounkhoung Khouthao, said most of the statues were stolen in 2006, with most thought to have been crafted in the 14th century.