Update: Earthworks will be protected

Thanks again to Kent Davis for staying on top of this story:

There seems to be a positive outcome to the destruction of the circular earthwork, thanks to the work of Heng Sophady and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.  The Memot Rubber Company was  unaware of the earthwork (they are a bit difficult to see on the ground) so the destruction was apparently unintentional.

From Kent Davis’ report:

In further on-site meetings, Mr Heng found company officials cooperative and a number of positive outcomes ensued. First, Mr Heng determined that while the earthwork surrounding the prehistoric village was destroyed no deep excavation had yet taken place. This meant that the deeper “inner platform” of the mound, which holds the most significant archaeological evidence, was undisturbed.

The village school buildings that were planned for the Samrong Earthwork site will now be shifted to avoid covering this key area, which will be designated a “green zone” preserved for future investigation. The company agreed to work with Mr Heng’s team to clearly designate boundaries of other prehistoric sites and add concrete markers for clear identification.  The company will also help install permanent signs for ancient sites on private land, once permission to place them is obtained.

This is a happy ending.  I’m so glad to hear the company understands the importance of the sites and will be working with archaeologists to make sure they are preserved.