Ancient monument number 4, Mueang Sema

Terrain

General Condition

Located in the inner city of Sema Away from the crow pond to the northeast, about 100 meters. The condition before the excavation was covered with forests. There are traces of digging for antiquities. The present condition has been excavated, restored and landscape improvement by the Fine Arts Department, in good condition.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Lam Ta Khong, Mun River, tributaries such as Huai Phai.

Geological conditions

[See Muang Sema]

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

It is assumed that archaeological site number 4, Muang Sema, is a vihara-type religious place. It is assumed that it was built around the 12th-15th Buddhist century with a rectangular plan, size 8.25 x 13.50 meters, leaving only the base made of bricks about 1.20 meters high. The viharn faces east, with the front made of 3 steps up and down stairs. At the bottom is a semicircular amphitheater. As for the top steps, there are pillar holes on both sides of the stairs. The north and south bases are made of rectangular, concave-shaped openings, two on each side, with traces of decorative patterns with stucco. The floor inside the sanctuary is stacked with thick bricks. On the outer edge of the temple floor there are traces of pillar holes on all 4 sides.

The area around the temple made of large sandstone The appearance of the sema leaves has no pattern. Roughly decorated stirrups are embroidered in 5 directions, namely the north-west side. west side southwest side southeast side and the east side

Construction Techniques The bricks used for construction are large bricks with rice husks mixed with rice husks. It is a brick used in Dvaravati culture. They are stacked up without mortar, then plastered to cover the walls and decorate the walls with patterned stucco. A sand filled core and a small purple rock

from excavation in 1999 found architectural fragments stucco parts idol piece The base of the sandstone idol carved in the lotus petal pattern. (Puranarak 2542 Partnership :87)

The map of Archaeological Site No. 4, Muang Sema, can be compared to Archaeological Site No. 4 at Muang Fa Daet Song Yang. Kalasin Province and the appearance of the front entrance that is made of a stone amphitheater in the style of Lankan art (Sakchai Saising 2004 :112) is similar to the stairs leading up to Viharn No. 5 at the ancient city of U Thong. Suphanburi Province (Office of Archeology and National Museum No. 10, Suphan Buri 2002 :34)