Prang at Si Thep, Phetchabun ปรางค์ศรีเทพ เพชรบูรณ์

Si Thep is known as one of the large ancient city which is located on the Pa Sak River in Phetchabun Province. The city had been developed since the time of the bronze-iron age about 2,000 years ago. Around the 6th-7th century A.D., Si Thep was ruled by a king and dom i nat ed by Hin du ism beliefs. From the 8th century A.D. onwards, Buddhism of both Hinayana and Mahayana sects were prevalent here. The ar chae o log i cal in ves ti ga tions have turned up a number of large chedi built in the center of the city as well as neighbouring towns. Si Thep established an enduring relationship with its neighbouring Dvaravati towns in the central plain of the Chao Phraya River; for ex am ple, Nakhon Pathom, Ku Bua and Lavo (or Lop Buri). This helped the city maintain its pros per i ty and sovereignty until the power of the city was declining in the 11th-12th century A.D. During that time, the Lop Buri Kingdom began a new re la tion ship with the Khmer Empire and adopted Hinduism beliefs as the main religion. Many ar chi tec tur al structures established in Lop Buri and its neighbouring cities at that time had signified the profound influence of Khmer art. In the Si Thep, for example, the Khmer stone sanctuaries such as Prang Yai and Prang Song Phi-Nong were established in the center of the city.

Si Thep was completely abandoned in the 13th century A.D. and turned into a small town on a com mu ni ca tion route between the central plain of the Chao Phraya River basin and the central plain of Khorat plateau. The historical architecture proving the existence of ancient Si Thep is Prang Si Thep, another large stone sanctuary located in the heart of Si Thep. The sanc tu ary illustrates the firm es tab lish ment of Hinduism beliefs that flourished in the kingdom from the 11th century A.D. Together with the architecture, Khmer deity sculptures are also found. They can be dated to the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. during which time Phra Nakhon of the Khmer Kingdom still prospered. The significant char ac ter is tics of the Khmer divine images is that they wore Persian high hats, have clothes on and stand in the Tri Pangka posture (with one knee lowered and the op po site hip leaning sideways, and the head aligned on the center line).