On the Expedition
Explore the roots of Southeast Asia's most illustrious empire.
Your team will contribute to the excavation of Ban Non Wat, a key site for understanding the origins of the Angkor Empire. Under the shade of a tarp, you’ll dig for human burials, food remains, pottery, metals, and other artifacts, and will also spend time screening and floating sediments to isolate microscopic materials and processing your finds in the field lab. You will be working closely with local people and will have a chance to truly experience Thai village life. Many of the locals have become skilled archaeologists over the years and will assist with the dig. At the end of the work day you‘ll be driven back to town to shop at the local market, check your email, take a swim, and enjoy a delicious Thai dinner.
Meals and Accommodations
You will stay in the comfortable Phimai Inn, with a large swimming pool, hot showers, conventional Western plumbing, and air-conditioned rooms. Breakfasts and delicious Thai dinners will be served under the pavilion next to the swimming pool, and the hotel will provide lunches each day to take to the dig site. The hotel is close to Phimai center and there is easy access to the market (including a small supermarket), where you can buy Western favorites.
About the Research Area
The Origins of Angkor research area comprises the very flat upper reaches of the Mun (pronounced “moon”) River system and the adjacent, dryer, gently rolling uplands. The countryside is sprinkled with villages, including the project site, Ban Non Wat, which translates to “Village of the Temple Mound.” Rice fields dominate the landscape and are interspersed with groves. A range of bird species, from bee-eaters to hawks and water birds, inhabit the area.
Social life in rural Thailand is largely centered on the markets. Throughout the region you will see richly decorated Buddhist temples, with monks making their alms rounds early in the morning. During January and February many of the temples have festivals that you can join.