Kok Patri Temple

Also known as Patri (Pr.), originally a group of two brick temples surrounded by a moat. They are all but ruined if not for the archeological excavation which has been given a large shelter and left unfilled so we can still see the interesting remnants of the brick base, various sandstone plinths, sandstone pedestals, and laterite.

There is a small Neak Ta shelter on the eastern side containing a small statue and other remnants. The site is also inhabited by a grumpy dog (at least at that time in 2021 :)).

Images: Feb 2021

The Life of Kok Patri in the Late/Post-Angkorian era

If you visit the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, there is a display of ceramics (funerary urns) on display that were excavated from the site. The description notes it as a site of Brahmanical worship as early as the 8th century, modified around the 9-10th century to later become a Theravada Buddhist temple. During excavations at the site, over sixty ceramic vessels were uncovered that were noted to have been used as funerary jars.

Radiocarbon dating of the cremated remains from the jars revealed activity from the mid-15th century through to the mid 17th century which is quite insightful in terms of the other late/post-Angkorian Theravada Buddhist sites.

Several diagraphic coins were also discovered, some stamped with the Hamsa. The vast array of ceramics was preserved by Tep Sokha through the Royal University of Fine Arts and is now beautifully displayed at the museum. These ceramics include locally produced items as well as pieces originating from China, Japan, and kilns in former Khmer provinces to the west.