Introduction:

The Kamplong Site on the eastern side of the Mekong River near Vihear Sour Village, about 20 km from Phnom Penh was recently assessed and perhaps recently discovered. The site may appear as only a small mound on previous survey(s) if recorded at all. Several pottery bearing mounds extend approximately one kilometer in length and several hundred meters in width. Some of the mounds have evidence of brick pavements or architectural foundations. Pottery remains are dense and several meters thick. Stone tools and faunal remains are found in the deposits as well. The pottery is significantly similar to Funan and later sites in the region; particularly Angkor Borei, Phnom Borei, Cheung Ek and Sre Ampil. The lowermost exposed deposits (with the stone tools) contain a spectrum of pottery clearly placing it within the Funan period. The extent, size and significance of the site ranks it as highly important for research, preservation and heritage management. It is unlikely, however, that this site is ‘one of a kind’, although it is probably one of only a few of its kind. The potential and importance of the site due to its more than usual intact nature warrants further investigation as soon as possible. It also serves as example that many significant sites may be overlooked and possibly destroyed before the significance is known, research is conducted and preservation measures are taken. Sites such as Kamplong are highly valuable non-renewable cultural resources.

The Reamker, which has been enormously influential in all aspects of Cambodian arts and culture, is the Cambodian version of the Indian Ramayana epic. Evidences from inscriptions and iconography show that this epic has existed in Cambodia since the 7th century. However, the oldest surviving text, which is incomplete and composed of two compositions, is said to have been written between the 16th and 18th centuries.

When Temple of the Emerald Buddha was built in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh in 1895, the story of Reamker was selected to be painted on the galleries of the temple and became the only complete version of Reamker in the country.

This thesis attempts to explore the sources of inspiration of the Reamker Mural Painting by comparing the Reamker Mural Painting and the Ramakien Mural Painting in the Grand Palace of Thailand in terms of the story, the compositional organization of painting, and the iconography. In addition, the thesis also analyzes the key factors related to similarities and differences found from the comparison.

Nowadays, local and foreign researchers have been interested in ceramics studies of Pre-Angkorian(1st – 8th century) and Angkorian (9th – end of 13th century) periods in Cambodia, especially in the Angkor region, Siem Reap province. In 1883, first ancient kiln site of Ankorian period was found by E. Aymonier which was situated in Anglong Thom village, Khnorng Phnom commune, Svay loeu district. Later on, some ceramics had been found during the excavation surveys, restoration works at temples, and other areas.

Since 1995, other kiln sites were found in the Angkor region. Thus, many researchers have been interested more and more in the ceramics studies, but not much in roof tile studies.

Recently, we are getting information of the Pre-Angkorian tiles. In Angkor Borei district, Takeo province, local people have found some Pre-Angkorian tiles and donated to The Angkor borei Museum for display and preserving. Beside this area, there is another Khmer ancient site which was a Khmer port in Pre-Angkorian period, called OE OV. It is where Pre-Angkorian tile have been found, but I do not study it because that site is located in Vietnam and its shapes are similar to Angkor Borei tiles.

The Badeum site is located along the bank of the Sesan River in Badeum village, Samkhoy commune, Sesan district, Steung Treng province, Cambodia. Steung Treng is considered to be an ancient center of the Chenla state during the 7th-8th century AD (Coedès 1964: 128), and is an important region leading up to the appearance of the Angkorian empire which ruled most of mainland Southeast Asia between the 9th-14th centuries AD. In addition to the Khmer, twelve ethnic groups reside in the province, including Lao, Cham, Sino-Khmer, Kring, Tum Pourn, Prao, Phnorng, Charay, Lon, Kavet, Kuy, and Vietnamese.

The Lao live mostly along Khmer-Lao border and along the banks of the Mekong, Sesan and Sre Pork rivers. Also by the Lao border, in Siem Pang District, are the Lon, Tum Pourn, Kavet, and Charay. The Kuy lives mainly west of the Mekong River in Thalaborivat District. The Prao, Kring, and Phnong live east of the Sesan River in Sesan District. Khmer, Sino-Khmer, Cham, and Vietnamese live along the Sekong and Mekong Rivers in Stung Treng, Thalaborivat, Siem Bok, and Sesan Districts.