Prasat Sambor as a Prototype of the Pyramidal State-Temple in Khmer Temple Construction

Abstract

Sambor Prei Kuk is the site of an ancient city called Īçānapura, which flourished as the capital of Chenla in the late 6th early 7th century. This capital was home to several Hindu temples that marked the start of a process of architectural evolution culminating in the spectacular architecture of the Khmer civilization, as exemplified in Angor Wat. During pre-Angkorian times before the foundation of Khmer Empire in the beginning of 9th century, religious places generally consisted of a single brick shrine, in contrast to the large and varied temple complexes that emerged later. However, current comprehensive field research in the archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk recorded a number of unknown brick structures and diverse temple layouts by composing several structures. Among these, three temple complexes stand out for their distinctive features: Prasat Sambor, Prasat Yeai Poeun, and Prasat Tao. These temple complexes consisted of square enclosures with a central shrine at the center and numerous other structures in the adjacent precinct, and were the prototype of the three different types of temple complexes in the Angkorian period. This article focuses on the layout of these three temple complexes to reveal the fundamental components and principle layout of temple complexes in the early stage of development and illustrate the progression to more complexities in temple construction in the later period. Based on the precise analysis of the dimensional layout of Prasat Sambor, along with findings from archeological surveys, it was revealed that this temple complex embodied the features of the pyramidal state-temples that served as the central religious facility of their respective periods. Additionally, from an analysis of their dimensional layout, the planning techniques for the temple complex, as well as the unit of construction measure used for planning this temple, were identified.