History loses out to nature | Bangkok Post: learning

Thai history

Teacher Ken May has explored just about every square kilometre of Ayutthaya related to old and nearly forgotten historical sites, many of which, he sadly relates, have now been lost to the flood.

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Inset, hidden in a small neighbourhood on the main city island Wat Sam Jin showcased a prang-like chedi. Main photo: Wat Sam Jin after the floods caused it to collapse.

You can read the full, much longer story here: http://bit.ly/rqRGhQ. If you have an interest in historical Ayutthaya, you will definitely want to visit the website Ken May helped to construct: http://www.ayutthaya-history.com/index.html


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NATURE TAKES ITS COURSE

Ken May

During the flood, I was able to kayak down paved roads that had once been ancient canals. I could not help but think that modernisation had exacerbated the damage. The ancient city had been designed in response to the inevitable seasonal flooding. Locals dug canals for transport and to move excessive water toward areas where it could be stored for times of drought. These arteries were frequently dredged as people used them daily by boat.

The city walls helped to protect residents from rising flood levels. Houses were built on stilts high above the ground. The ancient temples were raised on mounds, and people could seek refuge in them during times of floods.

In contrast, the modern city is not set up to survive large-scale flooding. Many canals are blocked or landlocked by dirt bridges and paved roads. Other canals have filled with hyacinth and plastic bags full of rubbish – neither of which existed in the ancient city. Old reservoirs were filled in to create new neighbourhoods, and nearly all traces of the city walls have been toppled. New homes are often constructed at ground level, and few locals own boats any more. As a result, the damage is more severe than in the past.

Historic sites are further eroded by monsoonal winds and tropical storms. Rain and humidity seep into holes dug by looters. Vegetation growth widens cracks in architecture, causing bricks to split in two and plaster to fall off walls. The ruins gradually shift balance as they sink in mud due to their weight. Maintenance of these historic sites is time-consuming and expensive.

Nevertheless, residents of the modern city often survived floods by seeking refuge at ancient sites. Many set up shelters on the higher ground of crumbled mounds that formerly functioned as temples. Animals huddled on the dilapidated foundations of ruins. Long abandoned sermon halls (viharn) hosted families and their belongings. For these people, the value of these deserted ruins is unquestionable.

REBUILDING

The popular historic sites mentioned in guidebooks for their size and grandness will naturally receive more attention since tourists are willing to pay money to see them. But what will happen to the remote historical sites; many of which are scattered off the main city island and covered by heavy vegetation? Does the nation need them more than a future apartment complex or factory?

Dozens of skeletons were found at the site of a Portuguese settlement in Ayutthaya in the 1970s. Right, the burial pit as it looks now after waters inundated the area.

I wondered about this when I discovered that the main memorial tower of one of my favourite deserted temples, Wat Sam Jin, had collapsed into a thousand bricks. This ruin was unknown to almost everyone, and now it is gone. It is comforting that I had led many students to this historic site while it stood. We photographed it earlier and created a document of what it once looked like. Over time the bricks and artefacts in situ will be carried away by future floods. Wat Sam Jin will likely become a brick mound like dozens of others in the city. I also wondered where the bones of Portuguese settlers had floated off to and if any of them had been saved.

showcase – to show the best qualities or parts of something แสดงจุดเด่นของสิ่งของหรือคน
collapse – to fall down suddenly พังลงมา  ล้ม, พังครืน
nature takes its course – things that happen according to nature ปล่อยตามเรื่องธรรมชาติ
kayak –  to travel using a kayak, a light canoe in which the part where you sit is covered over เดินทางด้วยเรือแคนูขนาดเล็ก
paved – covered with a hard flat surface of pieces of stone, concrete or bricks – ลาดทาง
ancient – very old ที่เก่าแก่ ที่โบราณ
modernisation – the process of making a system, methods, etc. more modern and more suitable for use at the present time การทำให้ทันสมัย
exacerbate – to make something worse ทำให้แย่ลง
inevitable – unavoidable; certain to happen ซึ่งหลีกเลี่ยงไม่ได้
locals – people who live in a particular place ชาวบ้าน
excessive – much greater than is usual; too much of something   มากเกินปริมาณที่พอดี
store – to keep for use in the future เก็บ
drought – a long period of time when there is little or no water or rain ความแห้งแล้ง
artery – an important road, railway, or river เส้นทางหลัก
dredge – to remove unwanted things from the bottom of a river, canal, lake, etc. using a sucking or other device ขุดลอก
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
stilts – a set of posts that a house is built on to raise it above the ground or above the level of water เสาค้ำ
mound – a pile of something, such as earth or stones กองดิน กองหิน
seek refuge – to try to find a safe place where you can protect yourself from something dangerous or threatening หาที่หลบภัย,หาที่ปลอดภัย
in contrast – different from ตรงข้ามกับ
survive – to continue to exist อยู่รอด  สืบต่อไปได้
blocked – closed, so that nothing can get through ตัน
landlocked – of a place that has land all around it ที่ล้อมรอบไปด้วยแผ่นดิน
(water) hyacinth – a plant growing in water with large leaves ผักตบชวา
rubbish – waste material or things that are no longer wanted or needed ขยะ
reservoir – a natural or artificial lake where water is stored อ่างเก็บน้ำ
neighbourhood – a particular area of a city or town ละแวก, ย่าน
traces – very small amounts of a substance ร่องรอย
topple – to cause to fall  คว่ำลงมา
construct – to build or make some thing, especially buildings, bridges, etc. สร้าง
severe – very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
erode – to rub or be rubbed away gradually กร่อน, กัดกร่อน
monsoon – the seasonal changes Asian countries during which winds shift bringing more rain (southwest monsoon) and less rain(northeast monsoon)  มรสุม
tropical – relating to the hottest area of the Earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn ในเขตร้อน
humidity – the amount of water that is present in the air ความชุ่มชื้น
seep – (of a liquid) to flow slowly and in small quantities through something รั่วซึม
looter – someone who steals things from buildings, houses or shops, especially during a war or after a disaster   ผู้ปล้นสะดม
crack – a line on a surface where something is beginning to break apart รอยแตก  รอยร้าว
architecture – in this case, the structure of a building
split – to divide; break apart  ทำให้แตกแยก
plaster – a substance made of lime, water and sand, that is put on walls and ceilings to give them a smooth hard surface ปูนฉาบผนัง
ruins – the remains of a building that has been badly damaged or destroyed ซากปรักหักพัง
shift – to change; to move from one place to another เคลื่อนย้าย
balance – the ability to keep steady with an equal amount of weight on each side  ความสมดุล, การทรงตัว
sink – to (cause something or someone to) go down below the surface or to the bottom of a liquid or soft substance จม
due to – because of เนื่องจาก
maintenance – the act of keeping something in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly การซ่อมบำรุง
site – a place where something is located  สถานที่
time-consuming – taking a lot of time to do or finish
nevertheless – despite what has just been said or referred to แต่อย่างไรก็ตาม
seek refuge – to try to find a safe place where you can protect yourself from something dangerous or threatening หาที่หลบภัย,หาที่ปลอดภัย
shelter – a place where people are protected from danger or bad weather; a temporary place to stay ที่หลบภัย  ที่พักชั่วคราว
crumble – to break, or cause something to break, into small pieces แตกละเอียด
function – to perform the action or the job of the thing or person mentioned ทำหน้าที่
huddle – to move close together in order to stay warm เกาะกลุ่มกันไว้
dilapidated – old and in bad condition ซึ่งชำรุดทรุดโทรม
foundation – supporting structure รากฐาน
abandoned – left no longer used ที่ถูกละทิ้ง
sermon – a talk on a moral or religious subject, usually given by a religious leader during a service การเทศนา
sermon hall – a large, open hall where lay people can hear sermons or receive religious education วิหาร, ศาลาการเปรียญ  
host – to provide the space and other things necessary for an activity ทำหน้าที่เป็นเจ้าภาพ
belongings – the things you own ข้าวของเครื่องใช้
deserted – empty ที่ถูกทิ้งให้ว่างเปล่า  ร้างไป
unquestionable –  that cannot be doubted ที่ไม่ต้องสงสัย
popular – a situation in which someone or something is liked by many people เป็นที่นิยม, เป็นที่ชื่นชอบ
attention – interest, especially interest that the public has in a person, event, situation etc ความสนใจ
grandness – the impressive features of something, especially something large ความหรูหรา
remote – far away in distance ห่างไกล
scattered – spread over a large area กระจัดกระจาย
complex – a large building with various connected rooms or a related group of buildings
memorial – a statue, stone, etc. that is built in order to remind people of an important past event or of a famous person who has died อนุสรณ์
tower – a tall narrow building or part of a building, especially of a church or castle หอสูง,หอคอย,เจดีย์
favourite – something you like the best of all similar things ที่ชอบมาก,ที่โปรดปราน
brick – baked clay used for building walls, houses and other buildings อิฐ
document – a paper or set of papers with written or printed information, especially of an official type  เอกสาร
artefact – an object that was made a long time ago and is historically important, e.g., a tool or weapon  โบราณวัตถุ
in situ – in the original or correct place ในแหล่งกำเนิด
skeleton – the structure of bones that supports the body of a person or an animal โครงกระดูก
settlement – a place where people come to live ชุมชน
burial – the act of putting a dead body into the ground, or the ceremony connected with this การฝังศพ
inundate – to flood; to submerge ท่วม, ทำให้จมลงใต้น้ำ
wonder – to think about something because you want to know more facts or details about it สงสัย
settler – a person who arrives, especially from another country, in a new place and claims the land in order to live on it and farm it ผู้ตั้งถิ่นฐาน

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