Study of Roof Tiles and their Productions in the Angkor Region from the 9th to 13th centuries: Typology and chronology
Author: Choi, Myongduk
Under the direction of: Armand Desbat
Université Lumière Lyon 2
Texte français
Keywords: History, Cambodia, Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Khmer, Archaeology, Typology, Ceramics, Tiles, Antiquities - Cambodia, Khmer ceramics, Antique tiles.
Abstract
The Khmer buildings made of perennial materials, which are the only visible remains of the Angkor site, have fascinated visitors and researchers for more than a century with their monumentality and decoration. However, one should take into account that these monuments were dedicated to the gods and that most of the other buildings were made of wood, with thatch, tile and even sometimes lead roofs, depending on their importance, prestige and the resources allocated to them. The tiles that are the subject of this thesis covered rather privileged buildings : dignitaries’ houses, administrative buildings, temple annexes. Such buildings are well known on prestigious sites which, even today, are often favoured by archaeologists ; a considerable volume of this type of artefacts has therefore been unearthed over the years. However, tiles often seem to be considered as an unglamorous subject and remain under-explored, although they constitute - by their number and variety of characteristics - an excellent chrono-cultural marker, capable of providing a wealth of information on the buildings and sites from which they come. This thesis brings together the typological analysis of some Angkor region sites : four tile production sites and seven consumption sites, while proposing a methodology adapted to the study of this artefact. Based on a comparison of the typologies of these sites and the chronological data available to us through epigraphic sources, excavation data and radiometric analyses, we propose here a first typography of Angkorian tiles for the period between the 9th and 13th centuries which will finally provide a solid basis for future studies of tiles from ancient Cambodia.
