Wat Dong Na Kham

Terrain

General Condition

Wat Aranya (Dong Na Kham) is now a Rat Temple. Affiliated with Maha Nikaya It was established as a temple in 2008. The area is a mound on a plain formed by the deposition of sediments. There are many natural streams that are branches of Huai Nam Mong and Huai Thon. including natural waterways on the south side of the temple and hills.

Huai Thon Lai is about 2 kilometers south of the temple, while Huai Nam Mong Lai is about 2.5 kilometers east of the temple.

The condition of the area on the mound besides being the location of Wat Aranya It is also a farm and garden area of ​​the villagers. The area around the hill is an agricultural area.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Huai Nam Mong, Huai Thon, Mekong River

Geological conditions

Mekong River sediment deposition during the Holocene period

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

According to the history, the area inside Wat Aranya (Dong Na Kham) had found 52 stone pillars and stone parapets with designs similar to the Dvaravati period, but almost all of them were moved to set up in front of the Wat Hin Mak Peng Library. Si Chiang Mai District with one remaining digit set at Wat Pho Tak When Wat Aranya (Dong Na Kham) was set up, the monks asked to return 3 pieces to their original place. Inside the temple grounds, stone fragments and pottery fragments of the Dvaravati period were found scattered everywhere.

In addition, stone tools such as stone ax blades, bronze vessels and a 2-foot-wide clay jar were also found. Inside were found bones and teeth of animals, a small pot. or scratching the wood into grooves No coating

Some scholars surveyed and assumed that Aranya Temple (Dong Na Kham) area may be a community in the Dvaravati period. There is a line of earthen walls and a moat surrounding it, and it is probably the Peacock Wiang that appears in the legend of the orangka element. Probably by the appearance of a large number of sandstone parapets. Represents a community with religious significance.

Some of the stone pillars found were shaped like a stone bar or stone pillar used to mark the area of ​​religious ceremonies or ceremonies according to the beliefs of the megalith culture group in the late prehistoric period. As for the stone sema, some leaves have a pattern similar to that of the Dvaravati era. Some leaves have images etched on the Jataka story. Therefore, it may be assumed that This community has continued to live from the late prehistoric period to the Dvaravati period.

The archaeological evidence found within the present temple is only stone pillars and 6 sandstone parapets arranged along the north-south line. On a cement plinth laid tiled slabs. Inside a small pavilion on the side or on the east side of the multipurpose pavilion (Sala Soros Mongkhon Tham), stone pillars and parapets are approximately 0.5-2 meters in height, without patterns.

From an interview with Phra Kru Chanthathammasophit Abbot of Aranya Temple (Dong Na Kham) on September 3, 2014, resulting in information that At that time, there were only 1 monks in the temple. Originally, there were many stone pillars and parapets inside the temple. But almost all of them were moved to Wat Hin Mak Peng. by Reverend Grandfather Tesk Tesrangsi, the abbot of Wat Hin Mak Peng at that time (At that time, Aranya Temple or Wat Dong Na Kham is just the Dong Na Kham Monastery), leaving only 1 digit, after which 3 more digits have been returned for a total of 4 digits that are located in the present pavilion. Later, 2 more digits were found, so they were kept inside the pavilion, totaling 6 digits. The Fine Arts Department has kept it at the National Museum.

In addition, in the past, the temple grounds were filled with stone pillars, stone fragments, and large ancient pottery vessels scattered everywhere. But now it does not appear on the surface anymore. Due to the plowing of the soil several times To find artifacts, they had to be dug about 1 foot deep into the current ground.

from walking on the surface of some of the temple antiques not found (Can't walk to explore the entire surface because most of the conditions are densely populated with trees and weeds)