Past Event

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Cambodia -- Angkor and Beyond: The Ravages of Time, War and Looting

The 12th century Khmer temples at Angkor -- architectural marvels and a World Heritage Site -- have been ravaged by years of war, neglect, and systematic looting. Statues have been wrenched from the monuments, and reliefs have been gouged out. While today, the looting has diminished, the monuments are suffering from a variety of other ills, many of them the direct result of the government's corruption. This illustrated talk will look at what remains today -- still more than enough to show that the Khmer's was one of the world's most important cultures. It will detail the process of looting, and examine what is happening right now to this vast archaeological site and to its key museum.