Research Training Program

Lee Zelewicz
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Sorena Sorenson, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Mineral Sciences

"Science is the attainment of
knowledge through the use
of imagination"

Cathodoluminescence Analysis of Six Bayon Style Sculptures from
Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor was a great kingdom that hit its peak from about 800 - 1432AD in what is present-day Cambodia. Among some of the greatest triumphs was the creation of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a temple built by Suryavarman II. Six of the sculptures found in the temple appear to be of a different geological background than the other statues and prior petrographic research showed that they may share a geological origin. A new research project was created to study samples from each sculpture using a technique know as Cathodoluminescence (CL), which involves identifying the mineral composition of each sample. Each samples' composition was compared using the results from the CL. The samples appear to be from the same geological origin, and perhaps even the same quarry. The finds may have a cultural impact in later research. If an actual quarry can be determined, it may show where trade routes were established during the time of Angkor's great empire.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.

Letter of gratitude