| ■Tokyo National Research
Institute for Cultural Properties |
■Center for Conservation
Science |
| ■Department of Art Research,
Archives and Information Systems |
■Japan Center for
International Cooperation in Conservation |
| ■Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage |
|
Survey scene at an old house
A vernacular house in which rammed earth and stone masonry structures coexist.
Since 2012, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been continuously engaged in research on vernacular houses in Bhutan, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD), Ministry of Home Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan. The DCDD promotes a policy of preserving and utilizing vernacular houses by integrating them into the legal protection framework of cultural heritage, while TOBUNKEN supports the initiative from academic and technical aspects.
Following the previous survey conducted in the eastern region from April to May 2023, the second field survey mission of this year was implemented from October 29 to November 4. Four staff members of TOBUNKEN, one from Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (NABUNKEN), and two external experts were dispatched, and the team was joined by two staff members from DCDD. We jointly carried out a field survey in the two provinces of the central region, namely Bumthang and Wangdue Phodrang.
Most of the target houses had been identified in our preparative survey conducted in 2022. Eleven houses in total, including those newly found, were investigated this time in a detailed manner that included taking measurements and interviewing the residents. Two houses among them were rammed earth houses commonly seen in the western area of the country, and six were stone masonry houses widely located in the eastern area, while both construction techniques were combined in the other three houses. Especially in the eastern part of Wangdue Phodrang province, a tendency had been observed that the rammed earth technique was exclusively used further in the past, and stone masonry has gradually become dominant over time. However, our analysis of the transitional history of each house suggests that things were not so simple, and present more complex pictures.
On the other hand, although we had been focusing on such aspects as building type, construction technique, and transitional history of the houses, this time during the interviews we started to pay more attention to ethnographic factors such as oral traditions about houses and how each room is used. By adding information about villager’s lifestyles, which reflected on the transition and locality of the housing type, into our consideration, hopefully diverse values of the Bhutanese traditional houses as cultural heritage will become clarified.
The survey was implemented with the financial support of a JSPS Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research (B), “Vernacular stone masonry houses of Bhutan: study on the architectural characteristics and the suitable approach for protection as cultural heritage” with TOMODA Masahiko as the principal researcher.
Excavation of the Terrace on the West Embankment of the East Baray
The newly installed (left) and the existing (right) supports at hazardous spots inside the East Tower of the Central Complex
Ta Nei Temple is located facing the East Baray, one of the huge reservoirs that used to supply water for the Angkor capital. The terrace at the eastern end of Ta Nei Temple was built on top of the West Embankment of the East Baray, being not only significant as the main entrance of the temple, but also connected to the other temples through the Embankment. However, due to the extremely poor condition of the terrace, its construction period and structural features have remained uncertain.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has so far conducted excavation of the terrace in three periods: November 2017, March 2018, and August to October 2018, aiming to delineate the plan of the terrace and consider the intention of construction. These previous surveys revealed plans of the terrace, especially the structure of the west wing. In this term, four staff members were dispatched from November 5 to 30, 2023 to carry out archaeological and architectural studies to understand the northern and the southern sections of the terrace as well as the construction process, in cooperation with Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA).
Although traces of the stone masonry structure at the northern and southern sections of the terrace were scarcely identified, the excavation provided some clues to enable estimation of the original construction process of the terrace based on stratigraphical analysis of the mound structure. Additionally, a structure made of stones and bricks, which appears to be the foundation of a wooden pillar, was discovered on the surface of the terrace. Those remains indicate that a wooden structure was presumably built on the terrace at a certain time of its history. A level directly below where many roof tile fragments were unearthed by this excavation is thought to be the ground surface at the time when the wooden structure was built on the terrace. The details of the structure of the terrace still have not been ascertained, requiring further investigation.
In addition to the above-described investigation of the terrace, we conducted minor repair work on the East Gate that had been completed last year, and continued its documentation. Moreover, we installed additional supports at hazardous spots inside the East Tower of the Central Complex, and held on-site meetings to discuss future collaborative activities at the temple.
Remarks of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia
Reporting on the conservation and sustainable development project of Ta Nei Temple
On November 15, 2023 Ms. KUROIWA Chihiro, Associate Fellow of the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation, attended the “4th Intergovernmental Conference for the Safeguarding and the Development of Angkor” held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
In 1992 following the end of the Cambodian Civil War, Angkor Monuments were inscribed on the World Heritage List, but at the same time, they were also placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. At the first intergovernmental conference held in Tokyo in 1993, co-chaired by Japan and France and attended by 30 countries and 7 international organizations, the “Tokyo Declaration” was adopted calling for international cooperation towards safeguarding the monuments and sustainable development of the surrounding area. In the same year, the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) was established to formulate technical guidelines and evaluate the activities of international conservation teams.
The Intergovernmental Conference takes place every 10 years to review and evaluate the ICC-Angkor and to discuss the policies for future conservation and sustainable development. The second conference was held in 2003 (France), the third in 2013 (Cambodia), and the fourth was held this time in Paris. In the past 30 years, numerous international projects for restoration and conservation have been implemented at the Angkor Monuments and Sambor Prei Kuk, another World Heritage Site.
His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, H.E. Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, H.E. Ms. Rima Abdul-Malak, Minister of Culture of the French Republic, Mr. KOMURA Masahiro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and other international members attended the conference. During the technical session, presentations were made by teams from various countries involved in the conservation of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk monuments. We also reported on the collaboration with APSARA for the conservation and sustainable development of Ta Nei Temple.
The historic house under investigation in the medieval settlement of Kirtipur
Almost 8 years have passed since the Gorkha earthquake in 2015 that caused devasting damage in Kathmandu valley. Many historic buildings are undergoing reconstruction, including those with “Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site” status. While the rehabilitation of these recognized heritage sites is being carried out with public attention, the historic buildings that are not legally protected, especially privately owned properties, are decreasing in number due to reconstruction or demolition without any recognition of their heritage value.
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been working to support the establishment of a network for conservation of historic settlements of Kathmandu valley, in collaboration with experts and governmental officers in Nepal, since just after the Gorkha earthquake and continuously during the pandemic. This series of dialogues led us to launch a new project for the conservation of a damaged historic house in Kirtipur as a cooperative project between Kirtipur municipality and TOBUNKEN.
Built in traditional Newar style, the target house, a historical landmark of the town, is located within the area of the World heritage tentative listing, “Medieval settlement of Kirtipur.” Although the building is currently being used for residential purpose, it is said that it used to be a part of the former royal palace complex of Kirtipur in old times. A square with a historic pond surrounded by this house and a nearby medieval temple together comprise one of the symbolic historical landmarks of the old town of Kirtipur.
In the first joint survey, conducted from October 11 to 16, 2023 with the aim of collecting basic information on the building, the project team carried out a measurement survey, investigation on the transition of the building, and interview surveys with residents on the ownership relationship, lifestyle of residents, family history, and intentions for future utilization of the building. Further discussions will be held with related stakeholders regarding the possibilities of the future utilization of the house and issues to be solved to enable its realization.
Many countries, including Japan, share common challenges on the conservation of historic buildings that are not legally protected. Through this project, together with Nepalese experts, we will exchange knowledge through dialogue with the aim of establishing a process for conservation and utilization of historic buildings that would be compatible with the Nepalese cultural context.
Kheni village in Trashiyangtse province, composed of vernacular stone masonry houses
A house of typology unique to Merak district in Trashigang province
Measurement survey of a timber hut
Since 2012, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been continuously engaged in research on vernacular houses in Bhutan, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD, formerly the Department of Culture, renamed recently upon restructuring), Ministry of Home Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan. The DCDD promotes a policy of preserving and utilizing vernacular houses by integrating them into the legal protection framework of cultural heritage, while TOBUNKEN supports the initiative from academic and technical aspects.
Previously, our study focused on rammed earth houses commonly seen in the western area of the country. This year, we began a survey on stone masonry houses widely located in central and eastern areas, with the financial support of a JSPS Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research. The first survey mission under this scheme was implemented from April 25 to May 5, 2023.
Our group, comprising four dispatched staff members of TOBUNKEN and two from DCDD, jointly carried out a field survey in the five provinces spanning from Trashigang in the east to Bumthang in the central region. We observed stone masonry houses that appeared to have been built during earlier periods than other traditional houses in the target area, based on prior information collected by DCDD, and surveyed 14 houses in a detailed manner including taking measurements and interviewing the residents. Other than three cases of large-scale, three-storied residences of the ruling class, all were originally very small houses of one or two stories. In the Merak district of Trashigang, where a nomadic ethnic group lives, a unique typology of one-story houses without cattle sheds was widely observed.
Based on knowledge and information obtained during this survey mission, we plan to extend the target area and conduct more detailed investigations of the old houses we had already identified. In addition, since transition and locality of the housing type reflects change and difference of lifestyles, we feel a need to put more focus on these areas in the future. We will continue in our effort to further accelerate cooperation to prevent the loss of precious heritage against the trend that the numbers of vacant and degraded houses are increasing.
The East Gate after completion (photo taken by drone)
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) continues to support the conservation and sustainable development project of Ta Nei Temple by the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA) in Cambodia. In November 2022, the two parties completed a three-year collaborative restoration project to dismantle and restore the East Gate of the temple. From May 6 to 18, 2023, TOBUNKEN dispatched our group, consisting of two staff members, to the site to record the completion status of the restoration and conduct additional research for the preparation of a final report on the restoration work to be published this year.
For documentation of the completion status, in addition to (1) architectural photography, (2) architectural drawings and (3) a digital 3D model of the East Gate were created. The digital 3D model with dimensional information was generated from some 1,000 images of the building taken from all directions with a single-lens reflex camera and two drones (Mavic mini), using a technique known as “3D photogrammetry.”
Supplementary survey work for preparing the final report included (1) partial revision of the temple layout drawings, (2) photographic documentation of pediment decorations, and (3) a comparative study to analyze the architectural features of the East Gate. For the comparative survey, we visited 10 other temples among the Angkor Monuments that were constructed during the same period as Ta Nei Temple to examine their architectural styles and decorations.
In addition, on-site discussions were held with APSARA representatives regarding the future implementation plan of the Ta Nei Temple conservation project.
We plan to conduct archaeological excavation and architectural survey of the Entrance Terrace to the Causeway, publish a final report, and organize a symposium to commemorate the completion of the East Gate restoration work in the second half of this fiscal year. We will keep you posted on the progress of our project!
Please also see the past activity reports on the Ta Nei project.
Field Activities (Part I)
Field Activities (Part II)
Field Activities (Part III)
Field Activities (Part IV)
Field Activities (Part V)
Field Activities (Part VI)
Field Activities (Part VII)
Field Activities (Part VIII)
Activities during the COVID-19
Field Activities (Part IX)
Field Activities (Part X-1)
Field Activities (Part X-2)
Field Activities (Part X-3)
Field Activities (Part XI)
