Shivling base

Terrain

General Condition

Sivaling base looks like a large stone pedestal on Phu Phra Bat. in the father-in-law temple group which is a group of ancient sites in the plains area of ​​the northern ridge of Phu Phra Bat The area surrounding the ancient site is a forest. The size of the stone platform is 10 meters wide, 15 meters long, 2 meters high from the stone courtyard floor, opposite Ku Nang Usa. On the northwest side of the stone courtyard in front of Wat Pho Ta And the west and north of the source have a small creek flowing through. The stone shack has traces of extraction in stages.

Phu Phra Bat is a small sandstone mountain. A child in the Phu Phan mountain range or Phu Phan Kham. The average height above sea level is about 320-350 meters. The west of the mountain is steep. and cant descend to the east.

Phu Phan or Phu Phan Kham is a sandstone mountain range that lies in the north-south direction. in the west of Udon Thani Province and Sakon Nakhon Basin

The general condition of Phu Phra Bat is sparse forest. There are natural vegetation types such as hardwood trees, maka wood, red wood, Ching Chang wood, Pradu wood, and deciduous dipterocarp trees. On Phu Phra Bat, there are many open stone terraces, rocks and sandstone sheds scattered around. caused by the action of water and wind on the sandstone.

Because there are quite a lot of hardwood covered. Together with many other natural plants, Phu Phra Bat is classified in the National Reserved Forest Area, “Pah Khuean Nam”, and is the source of many streams such as Huai Hin Lat, Huai Dan Yai, Huai Hin Rong, Huai Nang Usa and Huai Khok Khat. which flows into the east, confluence with the Mekong River at Tha Bo District Nong Khai Province

The plains surrounding the mountains are mainly cultivated for rice and cassava. The eastern valley of Phu Phra Bat is the largest valley characterized by undulating plains. Most of the area is cultivated for rice and cassava. This valley is commonly referred to as Lup Phan.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Huai Hin Lat, Huai Dan Yai, Huai Hin Rong, Huai Nang Usa, Huai Khok Khad, Huai Mong, Mekong River

Geological conditions

Phu Phra Bat is a sandstone hill. in the Phu Phan Noi mountain range at the edge of the western plateau of Udon Thani Sandstone is white, orange, pebbled, grit consists of quartz, chert, red talc. some igneous rocks with traces There are shale and gravel interspersed. It is in the Phu Phan rock unit, Korat series, in the lower - mid-Cretaceous period, or about 90-140 million years ago. The sandstone in the area has outstanding geological features. Because there are different properties in each floor. and has undergone geological erosion by water and wind. Makes the appearance of the landscape that is strange in many areas, such as Hor Nang Usa, Tham Chang, Father Ta's coffin, Thao Baros coffin, Nang Usa coffin, Pho Ta temple, Phra Ku Nang Usa cave, Nang Usa pond. Quail Stone Shed as well as the geological, physical and geological features found in the sandstone. which is a clear stratum or sedimentary rock For example, showing interleaving layers with gravel layers. An oblique-level display showing a change in water flow direction. (Department of Mineral Resources 2009 :38-39)

various shapes formed from sandstone and gravel sand have different texture The highly durable rock layers protrude into rock sheds. or a layer of rock overlaid on top The less durable rock layers will erode. or being eroded or is a concave part under the hard rock Become a rock shed or a rocky cliff such as Hor Nang Usa, etc.

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Siwa Lingam base is an archaeological site in the group of Wat Pho Ta - Son-in-law. which is a group of ancient sites in the plains area of ​​the northern ridge of Phu Phra Bat It is a large stone platform, 10 meters wide, 15 meters long, 2 meters high from the stone courtyard, located on the northwest side of the stone courtyard in front of Wat Pho Ta Temple. And the west and north of the source have a small creek flowing through. The stone shack had traces of a gradual extraction. The villagers call this stone pedestal. "Siwa Linga base" because it is believed that it is the place where the lingu and idols of Phaya Kongpan are enshrined. According to a local tale about Thao Usa-Baros (Pitachai Chatuchai 2010 :68)

The archaeological traces of the stone are extracted into 3 layers (Pitachai Chatuchai 2010 :70)

Top layer or top layer 1 It is a cylindrical stone pedestal. Diameter 2.5 m. Height 1.3 m. In the center of the stone platform is chiseled into a rectangular pit, 0.5 m wide, 0.9 m long, 0.24-0.4 m deep.

Middle class or First class 2 It is an L-shaped stone courtyard (L), 4.8 meters wide, 6.3 meters long, with many large holes chiseled along the edge of the stone platform. On average, the diameter of each hole is about 0.2 m.

Lower or lower 3 The ground of the stone courtyard was extracted into 5 large holes, from the left, the details are as follows:

The hole 1 It is a square hole, 0.66 meters wide, 0.68 meters long, 0.3 meters deep.

The hole 2 It is a square hole, 0.5 meters wide, 0.5 meters long, 0.3 meters deep.

The hole 3 It is a square hole, 0.53 meters wide, 0.25 meters long, 0.4 meters deep.

The hole 4 It is a round hole, about 1 meter in diameter.

The hole 5 It is a square hole, 0.5 meters wide, 0.5 meters long, 0.25 meters deep.

On the southwest side of this stone platform, there is one large octagonal parapet, without pattern, in perfect condition, falling down (Sumit Pitipat 1977:29; Payao Khemnak and Monchan Namthip 1990 :43)

Phithakchai Chatuchai (2010:71) assumed that the use of this ancient site From the physical characteristics of the source and the high platform, which are extracted into squares. It is used to enshrine idols or sema leaves (Sumit Pitipat 1977 :29), but later the idol was moved later.

The middle layer, which was found to be several large round holes. And if considering the plan, it can be assumed that it is a pillar pit of the building that was built to cover the stone platform on the first floor (Pitachai Chatuchai 2010 :71), while Phayao Khemnak and Monchan Namthip (1990 :43 ) indicates that when considering the chart These holes are not likely to be pillar holes.

The bottom floor found a large hole. There is an assumption that it is a pit of Sema (Sumit Pitipat 1977 :29), but if you consider it, it will be found that these holes are of different sizes. Therefore, it is not suitable for constructing a sema pit. But it may be a pit used to contain objects for rituals. Or it could be a pit to store water for use in religious ceremonies or beliefs (Pitachai Chatuchai 2010 :71)

Therefore, the base of the lingam is important as a religious place with a large building covered for use as a place to enshrine important Buddha images or idols. The ancient age is probably in the late prehistoric period, about 3,000-2,500 years ago and the Dvaravati period. Age around 14-16 Buddhist century (Pitachai Chatuchai 2010 :72)