Nong Pham

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Nong Pham
Native Nameຫນອງພາມ, ណងផាំ
Alternative nameBan Vienne
BA#L16028
CISARK#4612
SizeMedium
ConditionRuin
TypeTemple
Location
DistrictMounlapamok
ProvinceChampassak
CountryLaos
Coordinates14.26937, 105.35461
History
Founded10th - 11th Century (?)
Builder(?)
MaterialBrick, Laterite
VerificationGPS



BA PRASATNAME NO..jpg
2.00
(one vote)


Site Size & Condition: Medium Ruin Nong Pham (ຫນອງພາມ - Pronounced: Nong Pam)


The most southerly identified sanctuary in the string of north-south sites that stretches from Wat Phu to what is today the Cambodian border. Unfortunately, we can unearth little information on the site which is recorded by CISARK (1) as consisting of an east-facing, brick tower with 2 'libraries', a laterite enclosure with eastern gopura and traces of a moat. An identical layout then to nearby That Nang Ing although in so far as that site is much better-known we can only assume that Nong Pham is in worse condition. (We're assuming a similar date too.)

Precise GPS coordinates are also unavailable and while the name 'Nong' indicates a pond or reservoir - or at least traces of one - several plausible candidates can be identified in this area on satellite images. Our suggestion is a location close to the old north-south route revealing a small rectangular area defined by straight lines of vegetation with faint traces of an east-west reservoir lying immediately to the west. A clump of trees amid the low scrub to the west of the reservoir may also be indicative of vestiges but we repeat, this is guesswork on our part. (If one of the nearby locations proves to be the actual site of Nong Pham then this feature certainly also deserves investigation.)

Rather a sad indicator of the state of archaeology in this remote corner of Laos that an entire Angkor-period temple can be so completely off the radar.


(1) We would assume that the lack of photos on the CISARK site indicates that they didn't actually visit the temple while it also seems to have been overlooked by more recent EFEO surveys.


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