Application of Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda Restoration Technology at Elephant Terrace
Stone Preservation Treatment Also Used at Preah Pithu Temple
Techniques used in the restoration and maintenance of the Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda will be applied to the restoration of the Angkor ruins in Cambodia.
The Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation reported at the international coordination meeting held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the 12th and 13th, on the current status and future plans for the preservation and restoration projects of the Angkor ruins' Preah Pithu Temple and Elephant Terrace. The Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, together with the Korea International Cooperation Agency, has been promoting the restoration projects of Preah Pithu Temple and Elephant Terrace since 2019. After recently completing preliminary surveys, scientific analyses, and dismantling investigations, full-scale restoration work will begin next month.
Preah Pithu Temple is located near Bayon Temple in the center of Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. It covers an area of approximately 126,000 square meters and includes four Hindu temples dedicated to the god Shiva, one Buddhist temple, ponds, and moats. The buildings are believed to have been constructed at different times. In the early 20th century, the French School of the Far East (EFEO) conducted archaeological surveys and named each site with the letters T, U, V, X, and Y, which are still used as the temple names today.
The Elephant Terrace is where King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire welcomed his army returning victorious from war. It is known to have been built in the late 12th century. It features a long wall 3.5 meters high and 330 meters long, with numerous elephants carved vividly. However, the structure is not sturdy, and the stone has weakened, making preservation and repair urgent.
The restoration will utilize techniques used in the maintenance and repair of the Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda in Iksan. The Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda was restored by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Cultural Heritage Administration over 20 years, with the restoration completed in 2019. A representative from the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation stated, "It is regarded as a technology-intensive restoration based on multifaceted research and experimental results."
For the preservation and restoration of the Angkor ruins, including Preah Pithu Temple, precise digital recording, stone conservation treatment, ground and groundwater surveys, and bearing capacity tests used in the Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda restoration are also being applied. Some researchers who participated in the pagoda restoration have been dispatched to the Cambodian site and are actively working. A Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation official expressed confidence, saying, "In addition to advanced technology, we are conducting research to reproduce traditional Cambodian ground construction techniques, aiming for restoration through technological convergence."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
