The Sandstone Quarries of the Angkor Monuments in the Southeastern Foothills of Kulen Mountain

Non-destructive investigation of sandstone blocks used in the Wat Phu temple in Laos and the Banteay Chhmar temple in Cambodia

“…The sandstone blocks used in the Angkor monument and early-stage buildings of the Bakan monument are deduced to have been supplied from the southeastern foothill of Mt. Kulen [ 4 ], where many traces of ancient sandstone quarries remain [ 10 , 11 , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] ]. The magnetic susceptibilities of the sandstone blocks in the Wat Phu temple and its surrounding temples (0.14 to 0.42 × 10 −3 SI units) are remarkably lower than those used in the Angkor monuments, the Banteay Chhmar temple, and the early-stage buildings of the Bakan monument.…”

“…The portable magnetic susceptibility meter is a non-destructive and in-situ investigation method that is extremely useful for clarifying the construction sequence and age of the Angkor monuments built of feldspathic arenite with no differences in chemical composition [ 8 , 9 ]. This method is also useful for identifying the source of supply [ 10 , 11 ]. On the other hand, differences in chemical composition (As, Sr, V, and Y) were found in laterite used in the Angkor monuments and also in the bridges along the East Royal Road.…”