| In 1995, 17 antique Siamese maps were | | | | Wat and other templesand Tonle Sap with all its |
| discovered in the | | | | tributaries are clearly marked indetail. |
| Grand Palace. Ironically, the people who found | | | | The area covers the Cambodian provinces of |
| these rare oldmaps weren't even looking for | | | | Battambang and |
| them. On a search for old courttextiles for an | | | | Siem Reap over which several wars were fought. |
| exhibition, officials stumbled upon some | | | | Theseterritories were in dispute right up till the |
| cottonsheets with elaborate markings in a | | | | 1940s. |
| cupboard in the Princess | | | | Of the five antique Siamese maps, Muang Jin |
| Abhantri Paja Mansion, royal residence of a | | | | (China) is themost fascinating. The 2x4 m piece |
| daughter of King | | | | covers the entire coastlinefrom Thailand to |
| Rama V. | | | | southern China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, allthe way |
| The cotton sheets turned out to be antique | | | | to Japan and Korea, including the northern tip of |
| Siamese maps. Thediscovery of these maps | | | | Luzon, Philippines. The coastline has been |
| started a quest for their origin andpurpose that | | | | accurately mappedwith details of all the coastal |
| was to last almost 10 years. The | | | | inlets. |
| officialspresented the maps to the Crown Princess | | | | Muang Kwantung (Guangzhou, China) is a city map |
| who tasked | | | | of old |
| Santanee Phasuk, a geography teacher at | | | | Canton, showing the Pearl River delta, location of |
| Chitralada School toembark on this mission. | | | | factoriesand buildings in the city. |
| In 1997, Santanee went on a royally sponsored | | | | Purpose of antique Siamese maps |
| doctorate incartography to research on these | | | | The topography maps on border areas with |
| maps at the School of | | | | Burma and |
| Oriental and African Studies, University of London. | | | | Cambodia, traditional foes, were obviously for |
| Together with Professor Philip Scott, Head of the | | | | militarypurposes, the military routes and terrain |
| Geography | | | | features mapped bymilitary commanders during |
| Department in the same university, Dr Santanee | | | | campaigns to assert territorialclaims or suzerainty. |
| researchedand analyzed the old maps, which | | | | Trade with China, the major trading partner then, |
| covered Burma, Thailand | | | | requirednavigation charts mapped by ship captains |
| Indochina and China. | | | | and surveyorshugging the coast to China on a 30 |
| Characteristics of the old maps | | | | -40 day round trip. |
| The old maps are hand drawn and hand painted | | | | Accuracy of old maps - direction, distance and |
| on largecotton sheets with names written in Thai | | | | location |
| script. The mapsconsist of topography maps with | | | | Military routes and distances were generally |
| the terrain featurespainstakingly marked, coastal | | | | accurate as thesewere physically traversed. |
| maps and even a chart of abattle plan! | | | | Locations of terrain features,mountains, jungles |
| Muang Tawai (Tavoy, Myanmar) is the largest | | | | and rivers were also accurate. |
| map on display,at 4 x 5 m showing the western | | | | The scale of these antique Siamese maps was |
| border province of Kanchanaburi, | | | | compared withmodern maps; the directional error |
| River Kwai and Three Pagoda Pass, the traditional | | | | was 1 degree, quite amapping feat given the |
| invasionroutes of Burma into old Siam. The area | | | | technology of those days. |
| was the scene offrequent battles during the | | | | Period of antique Siamese maps |
| Siamese-Burmese Wars in the reignof King Rama | | | | The period of these maps was determined by a |
| I. | | | | throughdetailed analysis of the hand-written Thai |
| Saiburi (Alor Setar, Kedah) is the only display | | | | script, theconsonants, vowels, tone marks used |
| that's not anactual map but a detailed chart of a | | | | then and the writingstyles. |
| battle plan to capture acoastal fort in what is now | | | | The use of obsolete consonants, the cursive |
| Peninsula Malaysia. It was thebattle plan of the | | | | writing style andpredominance of the first two |
| Siamese expeditionary force to put down a | | | | tonal sounds in the Thailanguage indicate that the |
| Muslim revolt in southern provinces. | | | | period of these old maps during thereigns of the |
| The chart denotes details of enemy cannon and | | | | first three Chakri kings i.e. around the late 18ththe |
| forces,deployment of Siamese ships and forces, | | | | early 19th centuries. |
| the attack plan,including the assault and scaling | | | | This rare collection of antique Siamese maps is |
| parties for the walls. Thechart even records the | | | | remarkable asthere are very few maps of these |
| outcome of the battle and casualties. | | | | areas before the early 19thcentury. The collection |
| The name of rebel leader on the chart matched | | | | is kept in the personal library of the |
| that of a rebelleader during the reign of King | | | | Crown Princess. |
| Rama III. | | | | On special occasions they are put on public display. |
| Khemen Nai Ni (Cambodia) covers famous Angkor | | | | A public exhibition of antique Siamese maps was |
| Wat and | | | | held at the Jim Thompson House from February - |
| Tonle Sap, the lake that drains and fills during the | | | | March 2006 when five of the 17 maps were |
| dry andrainy seasons. The positions of Angkor | | | | displayed. |