Researcher : TIN TINA
(at the time of the grant) Doctoral Program in Area Studies, Graduate Division of Foreign Studies,Sophia University.
【Title of Research】
Cultural Resource Management:
A Case of KOH KER Historical Heritage Site, Cambodia.
【Purpose of Research】
The Khmer cultural heritages remaining from ancient time have still exited and scattered over Cambodia as
well as the neighboring countries. These inheritances reflect its civilization and its national history for theKhmer national identity. These remaining include both physical and non-physical cultural heritage. The
physical cultural heritage is comprised of a number of sites, monuments, group of buildings, caves, historicalcities, irrigation systems, royal roads, and ceramics industrial and so on. The non-physical cultural heritage
incorporates such as the life-style, traditional custom, song, folklore, literature, handicraft, and oral tradition,etc. Among these physical and non-physical cultural heritages, there are many elements that could help forthe sites surviving.
These properties characterize a great significance for Cambodian culture and society, and they also
provide the most value heritage for mankind. However, many of these properties are in the danger by rapid
growing of the economic boom and social security, and the exposure to the elements of nature. Thus, one
mission of Cambodian people is to preserve such cultural properties for bequeathal to the future generation,
to ensure that these important cultural resources will serve as the foundation for creation of better society atlarge.
The revival of tourism is a new phenomenon in Cambodia. This phenomenon could be effected on
cultural heritage site and social environment, if one has no pay the attention on the matter. In other word, thepreservation of cultural heritage and social environment has newly been applied in Cambodia. At the presentday, Cambodia is experiencing a historic turn, notably in the terms of economy. It offers great potential for
tourism-related investments. At the same time, it faces the challenge of protecting and preserving national
heritage and the environment as whole.
For example, to being conscious of the protection and preserve importance of the national cultural heritage,
the Cambodian government has approved several plans of protections historical site of Angkor region, andpresented the protection policies for the Zoning and Environmental Management Plan for the Angkor World
Heritage Area. Even though, the Cambodian government has approved those plans for Angkor historical site
protection, there are many historical sites remaining unprotected in the jungle. For example, there are suchas the site of Koh Ker, Sambo Preikuk, Prash Khan Kompong Svay, Banteay Chhmar, etc. This is because ofthe social insecurity, the lack of national experts, and the lack of financial support for the project. In addition toabove problems, until now the human resource on the field of cultural heritage management and relevant
skills are still lacking and requiring.
Therefore, we must admit that many historical sites in Cambodia have been remained unprotected.
While the Angkor Archaeological Park is going smoothly with such works, because Angkor was inscribed in
the World Heritage List. Thus, my chief purpose is to choose this historical site of Koh Ker, among otherunprotected sites, as a topic for study. Because this site have still remained many antiquities and the imagesof the traditional life style. On the other hand, this site has not been attempted yet, though a few studies havebeen done.
More specially, this study aims to seek a proper way to make master plan in order to preserve thesustainable between the tourist growing, people and the site itself.

The Studied Area：
My focal site, Koh Ker, is situated approximately at 15•‹ 28347 N and 04•‹ 50706 E, in Koh Ker village,
Srayang commune, Kulen district, Preah Vihear province (Northern part of Cambodia). The site itself is
located between the Dangrek Mountain and the plain of Angkor area. It is approximately 120 kilometres northof Angkor area and approximately 61 kilometres from the north of Beng Mealea temple. Koh Ker site wasonce a heart of the Khmer ancient city for twenty-three years in the tenth century, which was associated withthe great civilization of Angkor.
The original name of Koh Ker, which written in the inscription, was "Chok Gargyar", the pond of Koki (inbotany, Koki is a kind of tree Hopea Odorata). The modern name of Koh Ker means the Island of Glory. KohKer site was a city of Khmer empire, dated in the second quarter of the tenth century, when the king
Jayavarman IV moved the capital from Yasodharapura (Angkor area) to the area. Two decades later, hissuccessor, the king Rejendravarman II returned to Yasodharapura and abandoned Koh Ker capital.
Throughout present day Koh Ker area are remaining many ruins of ancient religious monuments, irrigation
systems, roads and other public works.
【Content/Methodology of Research】
2.1. Content
The objective of study is divided into four parts:
Part I: The aim of this planning process is to build up the comprehensive information as a resourcefor future monitoring. This part aims to study on this period in historical perspective. Historically, there had afew problems fundamentally raised in that period. First, it was because of the brief transfer of capital in thesecond quarter of the tenth century from capital of Angkor to Koh Ker. And this has been marked as anunexpected event of historical turning point, though the same organizational elements directed constructionof an agrarian city.

Another notably, some scholars believed that that period had a political conflictrather than the infrastructural failure. The same elements geographical aspect of the Yasodharapura (Angkor)

had been implemented in Koh Ker, as infrastructural basis of new relocated capital.
Part II: The fundamental objective for this part is to document the socio cultural communities of the site. Make
sure that the study is not only focused on the monument complex, but also to explore more about the daily
activities of people. To understand the existing of cultural society can be a strategy for making the masterplan of the site and can utilize as the basis for the sustainable economic development of the local
communities in the future. This part is also intended to describe the daily activities and practices of the people.
This is including, traditional way of their living, faming, foraging forest products, fishing, making tools and theirskills, existing folklores and oral history, ceremonies and other ritual performances. Besides, the importanceis to think the interaction between state and society relation. This is also related directly to building anddeveloping communities.
Part III: The objective of this part is to consider and to arrange the framework for zoning and theadministration of Koh Ker site. Make sure that the protected zone should not be made to large area, since themanagement control over large area and strict regulation will affect more on the human living system, andlarge area requires more resources of finance and manpower.
The aim of this framework of zoning is to preserve all the important archaeological features and culturallandscapes; to control of the different land uses by regulation; and to improve the economic and socialconditions of the area.
Part IV: The main objective of this part is related to the policies of cultural-tourism management. Recently,
there have the large number of tourists in different background on a historical heritage sites and otherlocations of tourist facilities throughout Cambodia. These amounts have often resulted in alteration of theoriginal feature in all kind of the archaeological sites, and the traditional life style of the local people.
The purpose of this study is also to make the new plan for protecting from the future impact of the growing
tourists in the area. At the same time as the impacts are inseparable from other factors of economic change
relating to the expansion of tourism industry.

2.2. Methodology of Research
2.2.1. Research Libraries :My fieldwork is to conduct libraries research in order to collect the available documents, which are related tothe subject.
The main sources, which would be served for the management and administration of Koh Ker heritage site,
have been deserted. These sources are namely such as international convention, charter, the experiences
paper of the management of cultural property in the world, and Cambodia legal administrative frameworks forthe protection of the historical site (such as protection legislation, and synthesis report on the zoning andenvironmental management of Angkor within the Siem Reap region, etc). These information sources are kept
as the data in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Ministry of Tourism, APSARA Authority, and UNESCO.
2.2.2. Field Research:

The main objective of this phase will obtain all required data and information from the field research on thesite. The collection process started from the summer vacation of this year. In order to conduct the field studyof management and administration of Koh Ker historical site, I am approaching the field of archaeology andanthropology.
+ Archaeological approach: I do my survey all archaeological features at the site and make theinventory of the locations. This would be a basis for future monitoring in appropriate legal framework ofzoning system. Thus, it would also divide the boundaries for the buffer zones of archaeological site andcultural landscape, and control the new development works.
+ Anthropological approach: This approach is to research of the cultural society of the local people. It could
be applied for the methodology of area study. I have to spend my times with local people in order to observer
their life activities. And it would make me to understand more deeply and is easy to communicate with them.
To pursue this plan, I have to work out with the local authorities and other related communities. Within these,
my criteria to select the information are such as gender consideration, age, local authority, villagers, skilled
people, and other stakeholders. On the other hand, the study is focusing on the overall adaptive strategy
surviving of their daily activities. There are such as traditional way of making living, faming, foraging forest
products, fishing, skills and tool making, documenting the existing folklores, traditional practices for example
oral history, ceremonies and other ritual performances.
【Conclusion/Observation】
After conducting preliminary research on the site, I have found some new idea on and understand more theexisting cultural society in the area.
The study of cultural society of Koh Ker site can be leaded us to understand the traditional life style andbeliefs. It also provides us to make a plan for development strategy in the area. The development planning
strategy has to incorporate at its core the value system of village, including the traditional way of living,traditional ritual, traditional reciprocal labor systems, etc. In order to preserve the site in sustainable
development, one must not be abandoned any of these elements. Each element has its important role to
make the site beware from the destruction.
Moreover, the growing of the tourist potential in the area should be made in balance with the local culturalsociety and their employment needs. This study provides us to understand more the methodology ofpreservation the value of cultural heritages. It will permit these rich cultural resources to contribute to thepresent and future socio-cultural development of the country. This master plan is not only served for thefuture research policy of Koh Ker site, but it can be also applied for the other historical sites in Cambodia.