Ancient Artifacts Found In Cambodia

A road project in northwestern Cambodia has unearthed human remains and artifacts believed to date back 2,400 years, the Culture Ministry said Monday.

Bones, spears, swords and pottery that may be leftovers from ancient military barracks were found late last month by road workers about 200 miles northwest of Phnom Penh, touching off interest among government archeologists and private artifact dealers, ministry officials said.

No chemical analysis has been made on the artifacts, but their style appears to date them to about 400 B.C., at a time when the kingdom of Funan covered much of modern-day Cambodia.

Funan is considered the foundation of the 9th- to 14th-century Angkorian kingdoms famous for producing the massive stone temples in northern Cambodia that are now the country's top tourist attraction.

Funan, centered on the coast of southern Vietnam, developed along an important trade route between China and India. The resulting mix of Hindu and Buddhist religions has left a lasting imprint in Cambodian folklore.

A 2,500-year-old Funan settlement containing four skeletons and many artifacts was discovered in southern Cambodia last year.

Oung Von, national heritage director at the Ministry of Culture, called the latest find "further confirmation about the earliest settlements of the Khmer race," saying the bones and pottery would soon be sent abroad for in-depth study.

The Ministry of Culture closed the site to the public last week, but Oung Von lamented that villagers have already pillaged it and sold artifacts to dealers.

An established trade in illegal artifacts has stripped impoverished Cambodia of much of its ancient art. Most of the statues at Angkor have been beheaded by thieves who generally smuggle the pieces to Thailand for sale abroad.