Phanom Rung Castle

Terrain

General Condition

Prasat Phanom Rung is an archaeological site that has been excavated, excavated, restored. It is located on the top of Phanom Rung Hill near the Thai-Cambodian border. which is an old volcano and part of the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range The area surrounding the castle is scattered with rice fields and villages.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Huai Poon, Huai Salakdai, Huai Nam Khun, Lam Patia, Mun River

Geological conditions

Khao Phanom Rung is a jumping mountain. The surrounding area is a rice field. The mountain shape when viewed from the plain resembles an inverted cone. At the top is Phanom Rung Castle. Khao Phanom Rung is an extinct volcano that still retains its volcanic shape. as a result of tectonic processes in the Tertiary period. Sending tensile forces to the northeastern region of Thailand until lava flows up in the middle of the continental plate covering the sandstone and pebbled sandstone of the Khok Kruat rock category When cooled, it turns into gray-black Hawaiian basalt. often showing lava flow At the top of the mountain are found volcanic slag (scoria) and volcanic bomb rocks of various sizes. The slope of the area is flat, the upper part of the hill is pitted in the middle of the hill, in the form of a natural pool. To the west of the pool is a cliff composed of slag volcanic rock (scoria) joined together by dense basalt, and its reddish color indicates rapid eruption and high bubbles.

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Phanom Rung Castle It was a castle built on an extinct volcano. The name Prasat Phanom Rung comes from an inscription in the Khmer language, the name “Wanangrung” means vast mountain. which is probably the present Phanom Rung Found a Sanskrit inscription named "Satula Tri" and "Satula Salai" meaning a vast mountain as well. Therefore, the original name of this castle is "Wanung Rung" according to the Khmer inscription (Rungrot Thamrungruang 2005 :136). Because in the room of the Garbhagarha enshrined the lingam. representing Lord Shiva and the inscription mentions Pasupta, which is one of the sects Therefore, this religious place is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It's like a shiva's supremacy over the top of Mount Krailas.

Prasat Phanom Rung is a castle built with sandstone and laterite. The entire layout of the castle faces east. There is a plan in the manner of running into the center. or the president's castle There was a construction of religious monuments on the hillside, which consisted of walkways that were placed on either side of the pillars. There is a Nakarat Bridge and a four-tiered staircase connected between the towers at the top of the mountain and the towers at the bottom end of the walkway, known as the “The White Elephant Factory”

The main hilltop group of buildings comprising an east-facing main palace is surrounded by a crooked terrace with a gopura, or tabernacle, on all four sides. Inside the crooked balcony, there are small buildings of different sizes, consisting of little prangs located in the southwest corner. Two library houses, one in the southeast corner. The other house is in the northeast corner, both facing south. There are also the remains of two brick buildings on the north side of the main castle. The first one faces east. The second part faces south. As for the winding terraces that surround these buildings, there is a shingle-roofed hallway that surrounds another floor. which the aforementioned walkway is only the base part.

Important inscriptions were found at Phanom Rung Castle. The inscription in Sanskrit (K.384 and K.384bis) mentions a person named Narendrathit who is a hero. and perhaps descended from Phra Suryavarman II, after Narendrathit was defeated by the enemy, he came to be a hermit at Phanom Rung. Hermit Naretrathit had a son named Hiranya. Who created this inscription to praise his father (Suriyawut Suksawat, MR. 1993 :373)

In addition, the body of the other main inscriptions is the inscription K1067, indicating A.D. 911, inscription K1066, 1071, 1072 aged around the 16th or 17th Buddhist century, and inscription 1068 and 1091 are the later inscriptions that date back around the 17th-18th Buddhist century. to the alpaca dedicating property of slaves, servants, animals, and consumables To Kamokteng Chakot Phanomrung Who is the god of this mountain (Suriyawut Suksawat, MR. 1993 :374)

The inscriptions found at Prasat Phanom Rung are well matched with the architecture that was built around the mid-15th Buddhist century, namely two brick castles that are probably the first buildings to be built. There is a pattern of columns adorning the door frame, defining the age in Baacin or Isle art. (about the middle to the second half of the 15th Buddhist century), the white elephant factory Built at the end of the walk below may be a building built next to the brick castle. Due to the study of the patterns on the pillars and the nature of the naga head on the gable frame, it may be determined that the pattern matches the trowel art. (1500-1550 AD) and later would have been repaired in the Bayon period. (18th Buddhist century)

For the building in the southwest corner of Prasat Prasat or Prang Noi, there is a lintel style that combines the art of Kiang to the Baphun style. Therefore, it must have been built in the early Sinai Art period. Around the middle of the 16th Buddhist century

The President's Castle Show the art form of Khmer decorative patterns like Angkor Wat. such as an image engraved on the gable Both the details of each machine image composition Also important is the canopy top that has developed from the top of the canopy of Prasat Phimai. Therefore, the age of the principal castle of Prasat Phanom Rung was set in the early Angkor Wat period. (around the middle of the 17th Buddhist century)

Floating sculptures at Phanom Rung Castle Shows a variety of art forms, from pre-Angkor art to Angkor-era art, that is, a figure of Ganesha, aged around the 13th Buddhist century, matches the Khmer art of Prek Meng style. It may have been a sculpture that was later enshrined here. The image of Brahma found classified in the form of art (late 15th Buddhist century) Vishnu image in Baphuon art (Second half of the 16th-17th Buddhist centuries), the head of an angel in the Kore art style. (second half of the 15th century) and Banteay Seri art. (first half of the 16th century) sculpture of a man Angkor Wat Art (Second half of the 17th Buddhist century). There are also sculptures of Shivling, guardian angels, animal figures, gods, goddesses, hermits, most of which determine the age in Angkor Wat art. There is also a biographical engraving of Narendrathit, which is the earliest historical etching before the engraved at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

In conclusion, The importance of Prasat Phanom Rung It is a castle built on the top of a hill that represents the Krailas Mountain, which is the residence of Lord Shiva in the Hindu religion. It is located on the connecting route between Phra Nakhon and Prasat Phimai on the Korat Plateau. which is a religious place which is the center of the ancient community in the high Khmer land between the 15th-18th Buddhist century.