Wat Si Sawai

However, the building using laterite as the main material can be compared to the chapels of King Jayavarman VII. Therefore, it is believed that Wat Si Sawai was built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII as well. Later during Sukhothai period, the top part was repaired using bricks.

Bricks and Laterite

It is facing south surrounded with a rectangle laterite wall. There is an arch entrance on the south wall and next is the outer hall connected to a solid inner viharn in the north-south line. Next to that are 3prasats located in a west-east line. The central prasat is higher than the other two. The current condition shows that many constructions and modifications have been done to this site. The base is submerged into the ground and it is made of laterite. The roof was built with bricks decorated with jackfruit petals in the image of Krut Yut Naga, deities, angels, and Nagas at the frame of the gate. This is a mix of arts of Khmer and Sukhothai. In addition, there are traces of other structures such as the terraces that surround the prasat and the 3 bases that are around the principle prasat.

The area between the temple wall and the inner wall has a pond behind the castle which would have been an upside-down U shape. Later the west area had been filled and a small laterite viharn appeared. In front of the small viharn appears a pagoda base and there is also another laterite base behind the temple wall in the north.

Significant antiquities that were found in the temple is the Narai Bantomsin lintel, a stone slab of the standing Narai, and decorated bronze Buddha images. The age of the antiquities is around the 18^th centure B.E. It is therefore assumed that this Wat Sri Sawai was first built as a religious place for Brahminism or Mahayana Buddhism. Later, when Sukhothai had power over the Khmer in the 19^th century B.E., it was converted to a religious place for Theravada Buddhism.

This is the evidence of religious sites in the Khmer culture found in Mueang Sukhothai. It reflects that this area was under the stream of Khmer culture during the reign of King Jayavarman VII before becoming the center of in the Sukhothai Kingdom.

San Ta Pha Daeng

ภาณุวัฒน์ เอื้อสามาลย์. การใช้พื้นที่แหล่งศาสนสถานแบบเขมรในเมืองเก่าสุโขทัยในช่วงก่อนพุทธศตวรรษที่ 24 จากการขุดค้นทางโบราณคดี. วิทยานิพนธ์ (ศศ.ม. (โบราณคดีสมัยประวัติศาสตร์))--มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร, 2556.