Category:Depository

This category includes all locations that have been used a depository, such as;

Neak Ta Shrines or spirit shrines are frequently seen throughout Cambodia, Laos and Thailand (Thai - cea ti). (Strictly speaking, the neak ta is the spirit to which offerings are made but the shrines themselves are colloquially known in Khmer as neak ta.) This animist belief is pre-Buddhist and pre-Hindu and holds that spirits, residing in certain inanimate objects or sites, require regular offerings as appeasement. This could be a tree, cave, rock, stream, pond for example or equally a temple yard, field, or, on occasions a temple ruin. (The daily offerings made at spirit houses in homes, restaurants, offices etc, is a similar principle.)

Wats or Buddhist temples listed in this category may or may not be of historic interest in their own right, however, we're including the numerous sites where sculptures, carvings or just fragments have been deposited at a temple for safe-keeping. The objects are sometimes simply lying around the temple compound, occasionally presented in the form of exhibits or frequently, in the case of smaller rural temples, housed in a neak ta shrine. In this case, the site is listed in our wat category.

Museums includes national museums managed by the Cambodian Department of Culture and Art, the Thai Fine Arts Department and the Lao Ministry of Culture as well as provincial archaeological depositories - which may or may not be open to the public - and relevant private museums or exhibitions run by non-governmental organizations. Obviously, ancient Khmer artefacts can be found in museums worldwide, but in this case, we are limiting our scope to establishments within the geographical range of our website. (i.e. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.)

Map Keys
	Large Prasats		Arogyasalas
	Large Ruins		Dharmasalas
	Medium Prasats		Ancient Bridges
	Medium Ruins		Ancient Cities
	Medium Tuols		Ancient Kilns
	Small Prasats		Ancient Quarries
	Small Ruins		Ancient Reservoirs
	Small Tuols		Ancient Villages
	Museums		Carvings
	Neak Ta's		Other Structures
	Wats		Prehistoric Sites
	Unconfirmed Sites		Unknown Sites