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Gold plated ancient stone found at temple site

SIEM REAP: A gold plated ancient boundary stone has been found at an ancient temple complex site in Cambodia.

The Apsara National Authority (ANA), which oversees restoration work in ancient sites in the country, said the boundary stone was found at Angkor Thom's Ta Kav Gate or the West Gate.

Angkor Thom, also known as Nokor Thom, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire.

According to a report in the Phnom Penh Post, the boundary stone is 53 cm by 53 cm and 12 cm thick and is covered with thin sheets of gold.

It was found at the Ta Kav Gate when the upper part of the gate's structure was dismantled for restoration work.

"On the stone slab, there are many holes – a large round hole in the centre of the stone surface, surrounded by square holes in all eight directions and in the northeast corner, which all have significance in traditional Khmer beliefs from ancient times to the present," the ANA said.

ANA deputy director-general Kim Sothin said buried boundary stones were usually found in the middle area at the bottom of the temple, and they are mostly thicker than the stones found at the top.

He said that the beliefs about burying boundary stones were related to the construction of Khmer houses. It is similar to the custom of having a red cloth, known in Khmer as a yon, attached to the middle of a newly-built roof in order to protect the house.

He said the stone slab was originally located on the top of the central tower, but it slipped and fell down into the middle of the gate. Similar buried stones were found in some of the temple foundations at the Angkor site.

"This ancient slab contains nine holes on each side covered by thin sheets of gold and a hole in the centre for plugging in a bronze trident handle.

"The ancestors used prayer incantations on such stones to make the temple foundations stronger, a practice depicted in the existing Bayon carvings," Sothin said.

He said ANA's restoration team will return the boundary stone to the top of the Takav Gate after the restoration work is completed.

The ANA said that various forms of boundary stones have also been found at the Elephant Terrace, Phnom Kulen, Banteay Srei temple, Banteay Kdei temple and Tonle Snguot temple in the historical area.

Recently, an archaeological team from the ANA also found broken pieces of statues during an excavation of the Ta Kav gate.

ANA said the statues reflected the devout religious beliefs of people living in ancient times and the importance of community water systems and irrigation.

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