Field Activities for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of Ta Nei Temple in Angkor, Cambodia (Part XIX) – Preliminary Investigation for Conservation and Restoration of Cruciform Terrace in front of the Central Complex (part 2)
In a previous article, we reported on our preliminary survey to examine conservation and restoration procedures for the Cruciform Terrace in front of the Central Complex at Ta Nei Temple. Subsequently, following discussions with the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA National Authority), it was decided to carry out a more extensive survey of scattered stone components to facilitate recovery of those buried in the sedimentary soil around the collapsed terrace.
In late May 2025, archaeological staff from the APSARA National Authority started excavation in advance, and from June 1 to 22, two staff members from the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation were dispatched to cooperatively check and record the scattered stone components .
As a result, additional terrace components were identified, and the upper bodies and hands of several statues of Avalokitesvara were discovered. However, many of the components of the middle layers of the side wall on the south side of the terrace are still missing, which suggests that this terrace may have been somehow destroyed, for example, by its masonry stones being used as building material for another temple building, and that the materials are likely to have been removed and relocated. To examine the restoration of the terrace composition, including the lost materials, it is necessary to refer to terrace-like structures at other temples of the same period, and therefore a comparative survey was carried out at a total of seven temples during this time.
On June 12, ad hoc experts responsible for providing technical recommendations on various restoration projects at the Angkor Monuments visited our excavation site. Following this, at a Technical Session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk) held on June 19-20, we proposed a basic policy for the restoration of the Cruciform Terrace, and received approval from the Committee to start the work to study the implementation plan.