Sreephong Dam, Phra Ruang Dam

Terrain

General condition

Sreephong is an ancient dam that has been renovated today into a small dam or usable reservoir. It is located outside the old city walls of Sukhothai to the southwest. It is about 2 kilometers from the corner of the city wall on the southwestern side of the southwestern corner. The condition of the dam site is the area between the Kiu Ai Valley and Khao Phra Bat Yai. Part of the Pratak Mountains

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Khlong Sao Hor, Yom River

Geological conditions

Khao Pratak is a limestone mountain in the fishbone rock category. Lampang rock group, Triassic period, 245-210 million years ago (Department of Mineral Resources 2008 :15) formed in the marine sediment deposition environment in northern Thailand.

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Sareephong or Phra Ruang Dam is a dam or dam Originally, the local people called the traces of the ancient soil embankment for irrigation as the Phra Ruang Dam because it was believed that one of the Sukhothai kings built it. Therefore, it is considered as something that Phra Ruang made or was created by the power of Phra Ruang.

Sareephong Dam is located outside the wall of Sukhothai Old City in the southwest. It is about 2 kilometers away from the city wall in the area between Kiu Ai Valley to Khao Phra Bat Yai. which is a collection of water from various sockets along the mountain area to 17 sok, part of the Pratak Mountains (East of the Pratak Mountains) Sok Phra Ruang Long Khan

The Pratak Mountains, located to the west of the city, are fertile forests. Rich in various plants including medicinal plants It is a good source of rainwater.

It was originally believed that it was the Sree Phong mentioned in the 1st main stone inscription. There is a directional change system and a water draw system along the canal, delivering water along the Sao Hor canal to the canal in the southwest corner. which is the position with the highest ground elevation of Sukhothai It then flows into the west, south, north and east moats. Including the various buildings in the city before flowing into the northeast corner of the city, which is the lowest level. and flows into the Mae Rampan Canal into the Yom River far to the east.

The present Sareephong has been renovated by the Royal Irrigation Department together with the Fine Arts Department. To be taller and stronger than before for water retention It has a height of about 10 meters and can hold up to 400,000 cubic meters of water (Special Chia Chanphong 2003 :39)

Before the Royal Irrigation Department constructs that water storage dam In this area, there will be a low earth embankment about 1-2 meters high, stretching parallel to the newly built clay dam of the Royal Irrigation Department. There is a word to call this ancient embankment as Phra Ruang Dam, but the embankment is not very high. including not having a strong enough construction condition Therefore, it may be analyzed that This ancient ridge called Phra Ruang Dam It does not act as a water storage dam like an earth dam that the Royal Irrigation Department has built. May serve only to direct the direction of the abundant water in the rainy season not to overflow into the city of Sukhothai or to divert all the water that flows from these two hills to flow into the canal of the tower to lead to the moat of Sukhothai

However, the embankment that acts to divert water to flow in the desired direction, which acts like Phra Ruang Dam It is commonly found on the slopes around the old city of Sukhothai. It is found most at the foothills of the west to the northwest of the city. which is not called Phra Ruang Dam in any way Only this embankment is the link between Khao Phra Bat Yai and Khao Kew Ai, which is known as the embankment because it may be the most obvious and known ridge line for a long time. by this Phra Ruang embankment Many scholars have called the name Sareephong according to the name that appears in the 1st main stone inscription (Khun Ramkhamhaeng the Great's Inscription).