The Fine Arts Department has worked with a research team from the Historic Site Restoration for the Foundation of Sustainable Conservation project to conduct a structural analysis of two historical parks to be nominated as Unesco World Heritage sites.
The parks are Sri Thep (also spelt Si Thep) Historical Park in Phetchabun province and Phanom Rung Historical Park in Buri Ram.
Sri Thep Historical Park contains 1,300-year-old religious monument built during the Dvaravati period (Sixth-11th centuries). Covering an area of 4.7km², the park houses more than 40 ruins including a grand stupa called Khao Khlang Nok and another smaller stupa called Khao Khlang Nai. The two ruins are the highlights of the park.
A large number of ancient specimens were excavated from the area including human skeletons, pottery and other old items dating back before the establishment of the stupa, up to 2,000 years ago.
Phanom Rung Historical Park, or Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, in Buri Ram contains a magnificent sandstone structure built in the 12th century by Hindu worshippers during the reign of King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire.
The research team is comprised of lecturers and researchers from the Engineering Faculty of Thammasat University, the Engineering Faculty of King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi and the Faculty of Science of Kasetsart University, and funded by Thailand Science Research and Innovation.
The team will apply the same technology and knowledge they used for conservation projects in Ayutthaya Historical Park, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Sukhothai and Sri Satchanalai historical parks.
They will create 3D structural images of the ruins in Sri Thep and Phanom Rung. They will analyse the strength of the buildings and develop damage scenarios to see if the ruins can withstand possible threats like an earthquake or even vibration generated by traffic or noisy ambience.
The structure analysis project of Sri Thep and Phanom Rung historical parks will be completed soon. The information can be used for conservation efforts and for the development of 3D games or virtual tourism programmes in the future.
Phanom Rung Historical Park. (Photo: Jones Dionio)
3D images of historical sites produced by the research team. (Photo: Thailand Science Research and Innovation)
