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Viewed from high above and taken in their entirety, many sandstone temples of the ancient Esan Cradle of Civilization show traces of continuous settlement since prehistoric times. Pimai City is a good example. The Prasat Village, 12 kilometers from the city, has been settled since 1,000-500 B.C. Black Pimai pottery later used in the area was prevalent up to the Dvaravati Period when the region experienced its first influences of Mahayana Buddhism. By the 12th-13th century, village communities had expanded into a complex and densely populated city. The grand Pimai Temple was built around this time at the heart of a rectangular city-structure. Several rivers surrounding the city assured farmers in outlying villages plenty of water for agriculture. |
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A large civilization with a well-established government or king enabled large-scale construction such as the barai, a large man-made pool dug to store water for communal use throughout the dry season. This Southern Indian type of reservoir can be found throughout Thailand's northeast, the largest being 1,200 x 700 meters. Several important sandstone structures like the Pra Vihara Temple on the border of Thailand and Cambodia or the Banomrung Temple in Buriram Province similarly reveals the work of a well-developed society. Smaller pools of water symbolizing the four great oceans in these religious palaces show how local beliefs have blended with Buddhism and Hinduism, producing magnificent compounds well-suited to the landscape and the people's living conditions. Many barais continue to function as the village reservoir to this day. |
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