Unit 4 Ancient Sites

Topics :

• Cave paintings at Pha Taem
• Phimai
• Phnom Rung
• Sukhothai Historical Park
• The Ancient City of Ayutthaya

Main Idea

Over the course of millennia, migrations from southern China peopled Southeast Asia, including the area of contemporary Thailand. The earliest known inhabitation of present-day Thailand dates to the Paleolithic period, about 20,000 years ago. Archaeology has revealed evidence in the Khorat Plateau in the northeast of prehistoric inhabitants who forged bronze implements as early as 3000 B.C. and cultivated rice during the fourth millennium B.C.

Unit to Competency

• Able tell vocabulary
• Able tell the location
• Able answer the question
• Able description about the place

Behavioral/Objectives

• Able give information
• Able answer the question
• Able description and tell vocabulary

[ภาพ: Thai landmarks illustration with giant swing, elephant, pagoda, tuk-tuk and people]

แบบทดสอบก่อนเรียน (Pre-test)

[ภาพ: ancient chedi temple ruins]

[ภาพ: Thai-style palace building with flower garden]

[ภาพ: Lanna wooden temple buildings with chedi]

[ภาพ: chedi with elephant sculptures at base]

[ภาพ: square chedi with stucco relief carvings]

[ภาพ: brick ruins of ancient temple complex]

[ภาพ: golden chedi with tiered umbrella]

[ภาพ: twin pagodas on mountain with gardens]

[ภาพ: elephants with mahouts at Maesa Elephant Camp]

[ภาพ: woman painting paper umbrellas]

Cave Paintings at Pha Taem

Cave paintings refer to pictures which are drawn or painted in colors on the surface of rocks. Although these paintings are found in places other than caves, for example, on cliffs and rock shelters, they are generally called cave paintings or cave art.

Cave paintings were closely related to rites and beliefs and carried symbolic meaning. The painting of animals was a magical attempt to make hunting more successful or to increase the number of animals for hunting. Some cave paintings were records of important events in the community.

Cave art has been discovered in many parts of Thailand. In the Northeast, there are 131 sites in nine provinces. One of the largest groups is located in Pha Taem in Ubon Ratchathani province. The word “Pha Taem” literally means the cliff which was painted in colors. The Pha Taem cliff itself is a flat rock surface approximately 180 meters long and has an area of nearly 900 square meters. There are more than 300 paintings at Pha Taem. Most of them were painted in red, others were done in black or white. The paintings show animals, objects and symbols, and frequently, human hands.

[ภาพ: ancient red rock paintings on cliff surface at Pha Taem]

Picture 1 : https://www.khaosok.com/best-national-parks-in-thailand/pha-taem-national-park/

Answer the following questions.

1. What are cave paintings?

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2. Where can we find them?

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3. What were cave painting related to?

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4. What do the words “Pha Taem” mean?

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5. What do the paintings at Pha Taem show?

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Vocabulary

[ภาพ: แผนที่ Pha Taem National Park and Had Wijitra]

Picture 2 : http://www.norththailandbirding.com:

Language Focus: Passive Voice

รูปประโยค (V. to be+V.3)

-These paintings are found in places other than caves.

-Cave art has been discovered in many parts of Thailand.

ใช้เมื่อไม่ต้องการเน้นประธาน

-The cliff was painted in colors.

-Cave paintings are drawn on the surface of rocks.

Phimai

In Thailand, there are stone sanctuaries of different sizes dating from about 600 to 1,000 years old. Most of them are in the Northeastern part of the country. These sanctuaries are called “Prasat Hin” in Thai because they were built with stones. Some of these sanctuaries were used as Buddhist shrines and some were used as Hindu shrines.

One of these Prasat Hin is Prasat Hin Phimai which is situated in the center of Amphoe Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. Art historians believe that Prasat Hin Phimai was built in the 17th Buddhist century (12th Century A.D.) as a Buddhist shrine. This is evidenced by the statue of Buddha protected by Naga once enshrined in the main sanctuary. Prasat Hin Phimai is surrounded by stone walls with a gate in the north, south, east, and west. The main gate is in the south and a Naga bridge connects the gate to the main entrance of the sanctuary. The entrance leads to the main sanctuary which is located at the center of the inner courtyard. The main sanctuary was the place where religious ceremonies were performed. Other interesting buildings in the inner courtyard include the gallery, the libraries and the hospital.

Restoration of Prasat Hin Phimai was conducted from 1964 to 1969. Later Prasat Hin Phimai and the area nearby which includes the ancient city of Phimai was declared a historical park. The landscape was developed. An outdoor museum displaying stone lintels was established. The Phimai Historical Park was officially opened in 1989 making it the fourth historical park of the country.

[ภาพ: Prasat Hin Phimai stone sanctuary]

Picture 3 : https://thai-rest.com/cambodia-in-thailand-phimai-historical-park/

Answer the following questions.

1. How old are stone sanctuaries in Thailand ?

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2. Why are these sanctuaries called “Prasat Hin”?

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3. What were they built for?

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4. When was Prasat Hin Phimai built ?

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5. How do we know that Prasat Hin Phimai was built as a Buddhist shrine?

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Vocabulary

1. main sanctuary (ปราสาทประธาน) - ปราสาทที่ตั้งอยู่ที่จุดศูนย์กลางของลานชั้นใน มักพบว่าเป็นประดิษฐานพระพุทธรูป หรือ เทวรูป และใช้เป็นที่ประกอบพิธีทางศาสนา
2. gallery (ระเบียงคด) - กำแพงล้อมรอบลานชั้นใน และปราสาทประธาน มีซุ้มประตูทั้งสี่ด้าน เดินทะลุถึงกันได้ตลอด มีหลังคาคลุม
3. libraries (บรรณาลัย) - ที่เก็บรักษาคัมภีร์ หรือตำราเกี่ยวกับพิธีกรรมทางศาสนา และเป็นที่ประทับชั่วคราวของพระมหากษัตริย์ เมื่อเสด็จมาประกอบพิธีทางศาสนา
4. hospital (ธรรมศาลา) - ที่พักคนเดินทางและคนเจ็บ และใช้เป็นที่ประกอบพิธีทางศาสนาสำหรับคนทั่วไป
5. Buddha protected by Naga – พระพุทธรูปปางนาคปรก
6. enshrined - ประดิษฐาน
7. main sanctuary - ปราสาทประธาน

Speaking

Situation : Sukanya, a tour guide, is taking a group of tourists to Prasat Hin Phimai today. She is talking to the tourists on a bus which is about to leave for Amhoe Phimai.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Sunshine Tour. My name is Sukanya. Today we are going to visit Prasat Hin Phimai in Amphoe Phimai. Before we leave, I’d like to tell you about the route. We are going to take Highway No. 2 and 206 to Phimai. I expect that we will be there in about an hour.

We will stop at Prasat Hin Phimai and have a tour of the monument. It’s sunny and clear today. You will have a chance to see one of the most magnificent Khmer monuments in Thailand at its best. We will spend about two hours there. Then we will go on to Sai Ngam. We will have lunch there. I recommend that you try the most famous local dish of Phimai—Phimai fried noodles. After lunch you can relax and do a little bit of souvenir shopping. We will leave at 3 p.m. so that you will be back at your hotel by four and have some time to rest before you go back to Bangkok tonight.

Write T if the statement is true and F if is false.

__________ 1. Sukanya works for Sunshine Tour.

__________ 2. Sukanya is taking a group of tourists to Phimai on a cloudy day.

__________ 3. After seeing the Khmer monuments the group will go to Sai Ngam.

__________ 4. The most famous dish in Phimai is fried rice.

__________ 5. The group is going back to Bangkok the next day.

Phnom Rung

Phnom Rung is a Khmer religious monument known in Thai as Prasat Khao Phnom Rung. It is situated on the top of the Phnom Rung hill in Amphoe Nang Rong, Buriram province , not far from the Thai-Cambodian border. Unlike Prasat Hin Phimai, which was built as a Buddhist shrine, Prasat Khao Phnom Rung was built and dedicated to Siva, the Hindu god. A carved figure of Siva in a dancing posture can be seen on the pediment at the entrance. The lintel of the main sanctuary also depicts Siva as a hermit.

In 1988, the name Prasat Khao Phnom Rung appeared frequently in newspapers in Thailand. The media reported that the stone lintel depicting reclining Vishnu had been missing from its place at the Prasat. The lintel was seen on display at the Art Institute, Chicago, U.S.A. The Thai people and the Thai government united in a nationwide campaign to reclaim the lintel. The effort was fruitful and the lintel was eventually returned to the Prasat. When you visit Prasat Khao Phnom Rung, you will see the long-lost lintel firmly fixed in its original place.

[ภาพ: Prasat Khao Phnom Rung stone sanctuary]

Picture 4 : https://www.viator.com/

Answer the following questions.

1. Where is Prasat Khao Phnom Rung?

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2. What was Prasat Khao Phnom Rung built for?

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3. Whom was Prasat Khao Phnom Rung dedicated to?

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4. How do we hnow that Prasat Khao Phnom Rung was built as a Hindu shrine?

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5. What used to be missing from Prasat Khao Phnom Rung?

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Language Focus: Order of Modifiers.

-Phnom Rung is a Khmer religious monument known in Thai as Prasat Khao

Phnom Rung.

จะเห็นว่า คำว่า monument ถูกขยายด้วยคำ religious และ Khmer ในภาษาอังกฤษ ในกรณีที่คำนาม ถูกขยายด้วยคำขยายด้วยคำขยายหรือที่เรียกว่า modifier มากกว่าหนึ่งคำการเรียงลำดับก่อนหลังของ modifier มักจะเป็นดังนี้

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Noun หรือ Noun compound

ตำแหน่งที่ 1 จะเป็น modifier ที่บรรยายลักษณะโดยทั่วไป เช่น good, bad, poor, rich, beautiful, etc.

ตำแหน่งที่ 2 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกขนาด ความสูง ความยาว เช่น big, tall, long, short, etc.

ตำแหน่งที่ 3 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกอายุ เช่น old, young, ancient, modern, etc.

ตำแหน่งที่ 4 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกรูปร่าง เช่น square, round, etc.

ตำแหน่งที่ 5 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกสี เช่น red, white, etc.

ตำแหน่งที่ 6 จะเป็น modifier ที่เป็น participle

ตำแหน่งที่ 7 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกทีมา หรือแหล่งที่มา ประเทศ ทิศ

ตำแหน่งที่ 8 จะเป็น modifier ที่บอกวัสดุ เช่น wooded, stone, plastic, glass, etc.

ถ้าเป็น noun ที่ต้องใช้ determiners เช่น a, an, the, some, many, few, a few, this, that, these, those, etc. determiners เหล่านี้จะอยู่ข้างหน้า modifier ทั้งหมด

Example : - red-painted Ban Chiang pottery — - an ancient Khmer monument

• the finest prehistoric painting — - that peaceful little old Buddhist temple

Place the modifiers in their correct order.

Example: lintel, square, heavy, stone = the heavy square stone lintel

1. red, pot, beautiful, clay = __________

2. winding, dark, gallery, long = __________

3. inscription, Khmer, ancient, stone = __________

4. Phimai, fried noodles, spicy, delicious = __________

5. trip, tiring, bus, long = __________

Sukhothai Historical Park

The ancient city of Sukhothai is about 12 kilometers west of Sukhothai province. The oldest stone inscription discovered mentions that tradesmen came to Sukhothai from China and the Middle East.

During the 18th Buddhist century (13th century A.D.), the state of Sukhothai flourished while the two major kingdoms, Angkor in the East and Pagan in the West, were declining. Sukhothai, the earliest recorded state of the Thai people, gradually built up its strength and stability. The height of success came under the strong leadership of King Ramkhamhaeng, the warrior, patron of Theravada Buddhism and inventor of Thai script and King Lithai, a patron of the arts. By the end of the 19th Buddhist century (14th century A.D.), Sukhothai was incorporated into the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

For hundreds of years, many of the ancient structures, ponds, dams, reservoirs and kilns at the ancient city of Sukhothai were left in ruins. The Department of Fine Arts began excavation and research projects to restore this ancient city in 1952. Later, UNESCO provided some aid and a restoration plan was set up. The team of experts restored monuments, excavated archaeological sites, cleared city moats, strengthened the inner walls of the city and developed the landscape. The ancient city has now been turned into a historical park and is registered as a world heritage site.

[ภาพ: Sukhothai Historical Park temple ruins with Buddha statue]

Picture 5 : http://www.thailand-guide.com/

Answer the following questions.

1. When did Sukhothai state flourish?

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2. What were the two powerful kingdoms before Sukhothai?

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3. Who patronized Theravada Buddhism in Sukhothai?

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4. Was King Ramkhamhaeng a patron of the arts?

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Vocabulary

Language Focus : Simple Past Tense

รูปประโยค (S+ V.2) ถ้าเป็น regular verb เติม -ed ถ้าเป็น irregular verb จะมีรูปที่ไม่แน่นอน ใช้แสดงถึงเหตุการณ์ หรือการกระทำที่เกิดในอดีต

Example : - The team of experts restored monuments.

• The height of success came under the strong leadership.

[ภาพ: school bus cartoon]

Conversation : A Tour of the Old City

Guide: Now we’re in the old city of Sukhothai. It covers an area of 2.5 square kilometers, 1.4 km. wide and 1.8 km. long. Originally the city was surrounded by three rampart and two moats. There are four gates leading into the city.

Tourist: What are those two ponds for?

Guide: They’re among the four large ponds in the city area. As Sukhothai is located far from big river, the water for the consumption within the city area was drawn by a pipe system.

Tourist: Does the name of the city mean anything?

Guide: Literally, Sukhothai means ‘the Dawn of Happiness’.

Tourist: Indeed. The city really deserve such as a name.

* rampart - คันดินที่สร้างขึ้นเพื่อเป็นกำแพง — draw – ลำเลียงน้ำ, — deserve – สมควรที่จะได้รับ

Answer the follow questions.

1. Where was the water for consumption stored?

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2. What does Sukhothai mean?

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Language Focus: Question with How……?

• How wide is it? It’s 1.4 kilometers wide. ใช้ถาม-ตอบความกว้างของพื้นที่
• How long is it? It’s 1.8 kilometers long. ใช้ถาม-ตอบความยาวของพื้นที่
• How big is it? It’s 2.5 square kilometers. ใช้ถาม-ตอบขนาดของพื้นที่
• How tall is this building? It’s 5 meters tall. ใช้ถาม-ตอบความสูงของอาคาร

The Ancient City of Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya was the capital city of Thailand for 417 years. While it was the capital, the city flourished. The former randeur of Ayutthaya can be seen from the ruins of many palaces and temples found in Phra Nakorn Si Ayutthaya province.

One of the most interesting sites in this province is the ancient city of Ayutthaya. The ancient city consists mainly of three palaces: the Grand Palace, Chankasem Palace, and Suan Luang Sobsawan Palace. The Grand Palace, built on the bank of the Lopburi River was known as “the old palace”. The palace buildings are in ruins. Only brick foundations remain to indicate the locations of the throne halls and pavilions and their former splendor.

Chankasem Palace was known as the Palace of the Front, being the residence of the Prince successor. The palace was destroyed when Ayuatthaya was taken by Burma in 1767. It was left in ruins until the reign of King Mongkut when it was partly restored. The palace was later used as the Ayutthaya provincial office. Now it is a museum. Suan Luang Sobsawan Palace, known as the “Palace of the Rear” was built on the grounds of a royal garden.

[ภาพ: Ayutthaya temple ruins at sunset]

Picture 6 : https://www.introducingbangkok.com/ayutthaya

Answer the following questions.

1. How long was Ayutthaya the capital city?

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2. What does the ancient city of Ayutthaya consist of?

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3. Where is the Grand Palace located ?

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4. Why was the Chankasem Palace called the “Palace of the Front”?

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Vocabulary

Language Focus : Adverbial Clauses of Time.

• While it was the capital, the city flourished. จะเห็นว่ามี Adverbial clause of time

Adverbial clause of time อื่น ๆ เช่น after, as, before, since, until, when, whenever, while, once, as soon as, as long as, etc. การเลือกใช้ขึ้นอยู่กับความหมายที่ต้องการ

[ภาพ: Thai landmarks silhouette]

Example :

1. Ayutthaya had been the capital of Thailand for 417 years until it was taken by Burma in 1767.

2. After Ayutthaya was destroyed y the Burmese, King Taksin established a new capital at Thonburi.

3. Before it became a museum, Chankasem Palace had been used as the Ayutthaya provincial office.

4. The city was prosperous while The Portuguese and the Dutch came to trade with Ayutthaya.

5. Ayutthaya was defeated when it was weak.

[ภาพ: colorful Thai landmarks illustration]

Fill in the blanks with words from the box.

1. Ayutthaya was __________ by King U-Thong in the year 1350.
2. When Ayutthaya was almost totally destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, many __________ of historical value were lost.
3. The ruins of Ayutthaya __________ that this old capital was one of the most prosperous cities on the Indo-Chinese peninsula during the thirteenth century.
4. When you see some of the ancient ruins, your __________ of its history will be clearer.
5. At Wat Phra Maha That many ancient relics were __________ in 1956 by the Fine Art Department.

* perspective - ภาพรวม (ที่เห็นสัดส่วนชัดเจน)

relics - โบราณวัตถุ ของที่ระลึกถึงวันเก่า ๆ

[ภาพ: Bangkok landmarks and river boat illustration]

Complete the conversation with words from the box.

Guide: Now, we’re in the area of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet. This is the most important temple in the 1.__________ of the royal palace like the temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace in Bangkok at present.

Tourist: So, the first stage of Bangkok city planning is exactly the same as what it was hear.

Guide: You’re right. However, in this temple there was a 2.__________ image of the Buddha with a height of 16 meters cast by King Ramathibodi II. The whole image was covered with gold weighing about 171 kilograms. When Ayutthaya fell in 1767, The Burmese set fire to the image 3.__________ melt the gold. That completely destroyed both the image and the temple.

Tourist: I’m very sorry to hear such an event occurring in your history. Both the temple and the Buddha image must have looked 4.__________ during that time.

Guide: I think so, sir. Please look over there. The three stupas in Ceylonese style were built in the 15th century. They contained the remains of the three Kings of Ayutthaya. Also, they were 5.__________ in 1956. Follow me please.

Activity :

Work in pair, make a short dialogue talking about the place where you are visiting. Describe the history of that place in shortly. Present in front of classroom.

แบบทดสอบท้ายบท (Post-test)

Answer the questions

1. What is a Cave Paintings at Pha Team?

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2. What does the ancient city of Ayutthaya consist of?

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3. Where was the water for consumption stored?

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4. Was King Ramkhamhaeng a patron of the arts?

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5. How old are stone sanctuaries in Thailand ?

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[ภาพ: Bangkok landmarks illustration]