The Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum received 77 artifacts that the residents in Siem Reap voluntarily donated to the museum for further preservation.
Some of the 77 artifacts are still intact, and some are broken into pieces, such as pottery, bracelets, knives, axes, and plates, said the APSARA National Authority’s news release on Monday.
Mr. Nak Borun, a businessman living in Siem Reap province, said that some of the 77 artifacts had been bought by him from the villagers while others had been handed over to him. He confirmed that some artifacts originated from Battambang province and some from Banteay Meanchey province, but he did not know the age of each item.
He said that after receiving information from his friends that the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum has preserved the ancient art objects, so he volunteered to donate these artifacts to the museum to take care of as the inheritance for the next generation. Mr. Nak Borun added that after arriving at the museum, he saw hundreds of well-preserved artifacts, and he was very happy and believed that it was the right decision to donate these artifacts to the museum.
Mr. Phuy Savoeut, Acting Director of the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, said that most of the artifacts donated to the museum were pottery, probably from prehistoric and Angkorian eras, and metal objects. Most of the artifacts donated were 24 bracelets and 18 axes, but experts have not yet been able to determine the exact age of the artifacts.
He continued that after receiving these artifacts, the experts of the museum registered to measure the length and weight according to the procedures in the museum, then stored them at a constant temperature to protect the artifacts. The experts will start cleaning and then reconnect any decaying metal pieces to their original shape as much as possible.
In the future, the museum plans to display the artifacts for the public to visit and study after the research on the history of these 77 artifacts were completed.
“The Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum welcomes the volunteer handover of artifacts that people have found or kept at home to the museum for preservation for the next generations,” underlined the news release.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse