CMAC discovers an ancient staircase near Wat Phnom on March 11. CMAC
Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) mine clearance experts have uncovered part of an ancient staircase, which is just over 30m away from a site where a lion statue was previously found.
The stairs were discovered during construction of an underground reservoir supported by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The site is in front of the Council for the Development of Cambodia in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district near Wat Phnom.
CMAC director-general Heng Ratana told The Post on March 14 that CMAC experts working with JICA on Phnom Pehn’s sewerage system development project came across the staircase on March 11.
“The staircase is 5m long and 3m wide. It is about 30m from where the lion statue was found. But they’re downstream. We came across them while digging at about 4m deep,” he said.
Hab Touch, director-general of the Directorate General of Technical Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, told The Post on March 14 experts are working to determine their origins.
“I think this staircase and the lion statue that we found are probably from the same historical period. But if you want clarification, please ask the municipal culture department because they are working on it,” he said.
Municipal culture department director Chum Vuthy said officials from his department and the National Museum had already inspected the staircase, but had yet been able to determine its age.
“The construction of the stairs was from concrete, using smooth steel wire and stones. We can only see the part of the stairs which is usually near the water. Typically, the staircase should start from the top of the river bank. So we will leave it for now,
because we cannot remove it. The stairs are more than 3m wide,” he said.
According to Vuthy, a cultural department expert had used GPS to mark the place so that he can research the staircase later.
“Because it’s JICA’s construction site, we will let them complete their project first. On an appropriate day, we will return according to the ministry’s assignment. It means that we may need to excavate. It depends on the ministry’s decision,” he said.
Vuthy said the section of staircase discovered by CMAC officials was found during construction of the groundwater reservoir and Phnom Penh’s 6th pumping station next to the Tonle Sap River.
“The statue was discovered upriver. We do not understand the relationship between the two, or how many steps there are. We do not know. We don’t have specific documentation about that. However, the stone lion is in the Bakheng style. It may have been transported from Phnom Bakheng temple [in Siem Reap province]. We just don’t know yet,” said Vuthy.
