Wat Ekang (Ea Kang)

Terrain

General Condition

Wat E Kaeng is an abandoned ancient site. It is located in the middle of Wiang Kum Kam. It is about 250 meters from Wat Pu Pia to the east and about 700 meters from the Ping River to the east. Originally, the ancient site was overgrown with overgrown forests and densely populated trees.

At present, the area surrounding the archaeological site is a longan plantation area and community residences.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Ping River

Geological conditions

It is a river basin area. was deposited with sand and gravel sediments. In the Holocene era

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Wat E Kaeng is an abandoned ancient site. There is no information in any historical document, but the name "Ea Kang" or "Ea Kang" is a northern dialect. It means monkey or lemur. In the past, there used to be a group of monkeys or lemurs living in this abandoned ancient site. The villagers therefore call it Wat Ikhang. It also appears that the story continues that. There was a lemur that made great benefits to the king. When the langur died, the king built this temple for this langur.

The Fine Arts Department has excavated the archaeological site of Wat E Khang in the years 1985 – 1986 (Department of Fine Arts 2005:101 – 105). Found information on ancient sites and antiques as follows:

Found the ancient site of Wat I Kaeng It consists of a glass wall, a pagoda, a viharn, an altar around a three-sided pagoda, and a rectangular building.

Architectural features

1. Viharn is a hall viharn with a width of 20 meters and a length of 13.50 meters (Saraswati Ongsakul 1994 :60). At present, only the base of the pad in the rectangular plan remains. Behind the viharn, there is a booth (Gandhakudi) behind the president's room. In which the booth has 1 Chukchi base with stairs leading to the base of the palace on both the east and west sides. The ground of the viharn is covered with bricks, plastered with white plaster, consisting of 8 pairs of pillar bases made of laterite in a round shape overlaid with triangular bricks with curved bases. There are 3 stairs leading up to the main staircase. because the stucco pieces of Naga scales were found at the base of the front temple.

From the excavation, it was found that the viharn was overlapping in 2 periods. Build more booths at the end. It is connected to the base that supports the pagoda. Because traces of reinforcement were found at the Chukchi base and the west corner of the base of the viharn behind it.

2. The main chedi is located on a royal pedestal that connects to the end of the viharn. It is a bell-shaped chedi in Lanna style. The lower base is the cutting board base in the square plan. Supports octagonal bases stacked 3 or more layers, next to the base is 2 layers of plexiglass plexiglass base.

The middle part of the chedi is a chopping board set in a circular plan. Stacked in 3 tiers cascades to support garlands, vines, glass beads, chicken breasts in a 3-tier round plan to support the bell body with a lotus-mouthed bell. above the throne The upper part collapses to a clear pattern.

Excavation studies in the years 1985 – 1986 found a dungeon room under the bell. It is a circular room with white plaster. About 50 centimeters in diameter, the original bell body was also found in white plaster inside the current bell body. It made me know that the main chedi of Wat E-lang was reinforced in the latter days.

3. Rectangular building It was excavated in 2003, located parallel to the base of the temple. It was in a very dilapidated state. Only the base remains The style of the building was planned along the east-west direction. A lot of clay tile fragments were found in this area. Shows that this building should have a roof. And it could be a chapel.

From the study of the soil layer, it was found that this building was overlapping in 2 periods. In the first period, it was probably built at the same time as the viharn and the chedi. and built overlapping the first building in later times.

Artifacts found

Antique artifacts from excavation, including parts of a bronze Buddha image. glass buddha The top of the stupa is made of glass while the top is covered with gold. Terracotta Buddha bronze stencil Bronze sheet for decoration and gilded bronze tiered components which are found in large numbers around the chedi They also found a stucco pattern with black burnt marks and melted bronze fragments attached to the clay tile. At the base of Chukchi enshrines the principal Buddha image and around the base of the viharn and also found pieces of sandstone Buddha images stucco buddha head stucco and brick slabs with carved monkey-like creatures.

for the earthenware Found a piece of pottery made from the San Kamphaeng kiln source. Wiang Kalong Kilns, Wang Nuea Kilns, and Sukhothai Kilns including Chinese wares The discovery of earthenware at this temple may not be taken into consideration in determining the age of the ancient site because it is found in the sand sediment that may be swept away from other sources in times of great floods.

The important antiquities that can be used as evidence that can determine the age are brick plates inscribed with Kham Kham and Tham Lanna characters. age in the 20th - 21st Buddhist century, 7 pieces

Determination of age

From the ancient form inside the large langur temple and is in the middle of Wiang May fall into the motto of the construction of Wat Mahathat in the 19th century onwards, from a comparative study of architectural styles, analyzing with antiquities Therefore, it can be said that the ancient site of Wat E Khang is probably between the end of the 21st Buddhist century to the beginning of the 22nd Buddhist century.

Relevant local legend

Legend of the lemur It is said that there was a lemur that made great benefits to the king. When the langur died, the king built this temple for this langur.

Related inscription

7 pieces of brick inscribed with Kham Kham and Tham Lanna script, age can be determined during the 20th - 21st Buddhist century (Department of Fine Arts 2005:103 - 104)