Lower cave

The mouth of the lower cave forms a prominent landmark visible from the river and is situated in the basal portion of an extensive vertical river-bank cliff line (Fig. 8). Access from the river, adjacent to the cave mouth, is provided by a series of steps (thirty-six from the river level at the time of this survey). Here the river is considerably deeper than the downstream landing, making loading and unloading more problematic. A pathway adjoins these stairs with the stairs to the upper cave; parts of this pathway and associated steps have eroded down the hillside and are hazardous to path users (Fig. 9).

Figure 10

Approximate cross section of the lower cave. Figure 11

Main area of worship in the lower cave.

The lower cave is steeper and more shallow than the upper cave, with a steeply inclined natural floor, consisting of flowstone and bedrock features, that descends to the level of the Mekong River at the mouth of the cave. The cave extends for approximately 35 m from the entrance with a similar maximum width and height at any one point of around 15 m (Fig. 10). As the cave is comparatively shallow, natural daylight allows viewing of most of the interior. Limestone development is limited to extensive flowstone deposits, associated columns, and pool deposits. Apart from isolated drips, the cave appears relatively dry.

An altarlike arrangement of sculptures is the focal point of the lower cave. This grouping is closest to the river's edge and has a flat cement platform in front of it that serves a religious function: most worshippers leave offerings of flowers and incense here (Fig. 11).

A series of retaining walls, staircases, and platforms has been constructed to provide both an open, level space near the cave mouth and a sequence of smaller joined or isolated rectangular platforms on which to place sculptures of the Buddha. A large stupa (dome-shaped Buddhist shrine) is situated on the highest platform. Cast-cement sculptures depicting figures from the Ramayana are found throughout the lower regions of the cave. On the lower platforms, the cast-cement figures and associated architectural features are regularly whitewashed, with some smaller features having been recently painted in red enamel paint. Two small reliefs depicting lizards or crocodiles have been cemented onto a limestone wall near the front entrance. A sign reading “spring” in English points to the right side of the cave. Although a water source was not located by the survey team, it may be a seasonal spring, since it is well known that these waters were used in royal coronation ceremonies.

Most Buddha sculptures found in the lower cave date from the nineteenth century. Recognizable standing sculptures number approximately twenty-two hundred.

The lower cave also exhibits more recent intervention. In addition to the recent painting of architectural features and non-Buddhist sculptures, many of the figures have been cemented into the limestone rock in an effort to prevent theft. In some cases, all that now remains are hardened lumps of cement containing wooden stub remnants. Further intervention took place in conjunction with the Princess of Thailand's visit. To improve safety for the royal party, bamboo railings and posts were embedded into concrete blocks set directly into the limestone foundation. The extent of rock markings on the walls is less than in the upper cave, although the range of types is similar. Both bats and wasps inhabit this cave.

Limitations of the Survey

Several factors limited the scope and degree of the initial fieldwork. Onsite fieldwork was conducted for seven of the fifteen days allocated to the project; the remaining time was spent in transit and conducting necessary liaison and support work. The Princess of Thailand's visit, which took place during the site survey, precluded any work in the caves on that day The unanticipated requirement for overnight stopovers to ensure flight connections within Lao also significantly reduced the available time on-site. As a result of these factors, photographic coverage of the sites was conducted at a preliminary level only, and the mapping of the lower cave was done quickly, resulting in varying levels of accuracy.

A lack of knowledge of the Lao language, culture, and Buddhist beliefs predicated the type and level of understanding achievable regarding the cultural context and dynamics of the site. The historic and contemporary oral information gained during fieldwork can therefore be considered only as dependent primary data rather than corroborated information.

Although the fieldwork provided a reliable assessment of the physically definable environmental and management constraints of Tam Ting, the survey had neither the time nor human resources to assess the contemporary human values associated with the caves. As a result, information is limited regarding factors such as the level of local, provincial, and federal managerial participation; the use of economic resources; and the Lao cultural values of the site.

In keeping with the preliminary and assessment nature of this initial survey, the use of sophisticated equipment and materials was kept to a minimum. This ensured flexibility within the potential constraints of unknown site contexts and facilities. Time limitations also precluded the opportunity of sending supplies in advance. Finally, six days of mud-producing rain and the inevitable stomach ailments common to foreign visitors, which were also suffered by the Lao team members, made the working conditions less than ideal. The resulting documentation of Tam Ting should not, therefore, be considered comprehensive or systematic beyond the requirements of the survey's objectives.

Interim Recommendations

The survey produced suggested measures to protect the caves and their contents until further conservation methods could be implemented. The

Figure 12

Result of recent whitewashing in the lower cave.

Recommendations, submitted to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in a report dated 19 November 1992, were as follows:

1.  Site visitors should be directed not to touch or handle the Buddha sculptures. Reasons for this instruction should be given. Site managers and custodians should touch the sculptures only when absolutely necessary and should refrain from moving the sculptures from their current locations. The majority of the sculptures in Tam Ting have suffered extensive borer and termite attack, leaving them extremely fragile. In many cases, it is only the very thin layers of lacquer and gilding that hold the figures together. Lifting a sculpture by the head or arm is likely to result in breakage. Unfortunately, this type of inappropriate handling and consequent damage was witnessed several times during the six-day period despite attempts at prevention. Every time an object is handled, its rate of deterioration is increased and the stability of exceedingly fragile pieces is threatened.

2.  All of the floor and wall deposits should be protected from impact. There should be no further disturbance to the cave floors by digging or implanting objects within them. The deposits in both caves appear to have major potential as an archaeological and scientific resource and should be conserved for future research.

3.  No further sculptures or nonarchitectural artifacts should be fixed in place or restored using cement. Several sculptures have been cemented in place in the lower cave. Aside from the detrimental effects concerning preservation, it has proved to be ineffective in deterring the deliberate breaking off or accidental damage of sculptures (as evidenced by several lumps of cement with sculptures missing).

4.  The removal of graffiti from the walls of the cave should not be attempted until adequate methods are devised and an appropriate survey and recording of the rock markings is carried out. Some graffiti may prove to have historical or cultural value, while the act of using solvents and abrasives may further damage associated rock art and its substrate.

5.  The use of enamel paints, and any painting in the interior of the caves or of the wooden entrance to the upper cave, should not be allowed until the appropriate paint types and techniques are defined. An unknown type of white paint, possibly whitewash, is regularly applied to the architectural and some in situ sculptural features in the lower cave. Buddha sculptures in close proximity to these painted walls have been splattered with the paint, creating serious conservation problems for those pieces (Fig. 12). It may, however, be considered necessary by Lao site custodians to repaint some of the whitewashed areas within the lower cave. In this event, care must be taken

In any future application of whitewash to avoid all surfaces of the Buddha sculptures and to apply paint only to those walls and features (non-Buddha sculptures and architectural elements) already painted and maintained in this way. Portions of the platforms in the lower cave have also been painted with red enamel paint. More stringent precautions must accompany the use of this paint. Should any of this paint inadvertently land on the sculptures, it will be difficult to remove in the future.

6.  Smoking and littering within the caves should be prohibited and this policy posted and enforced by tour guides.

7.  The on-site disposal of garbage created by tourists needs to be improved. The present surface dump located adjacent to the lower toilet block contains numerous nonbiodegradable materials, including a multitude of plastic trays that are gradually being dispersed over the wider region. The dump is visually obtrusive and may seriously threaten the quality of visitor experience in the near future. It is suggested that the surface dump be replaced with a disposal pit and that the existing garbage be buried. In the future, tour guides should be responsible for taking their groups' garbage back with them to Luang Prabang (i. e., taking away everything they brought to the site, including lunch remnants and all disposables). Tour groups should be discouraged from using synthetic plastics.

8.  Installation of electric lights in either cave would be detrimental to the preservation of the site and should not be considered as a visitor-management option. Electric lights would increase ambient temperature intermittently, and hence create fluctuations in relative humidity, a cause of damage to artifacts. Plant nutrients, in the form of dust and bat droppings, exist within the caves. Increased light levels could consequently promote the damaging growth of organisms. In addition, greater illumination of the sites may not be necessary to provide a rewarding visitor experience. Several visitors to the site commented on the appropriate ambience of the dark caves and the use of candles in the upper cave. It is suggested that the cultural value of the ambient and traditional light sources be explained and promoted by tour guides (Fig. 13). The use of handheld torches (flashlights) is to be encouraged.

9.  Visitors should not be allowed access to the caves without an appropriate tour guide or government representative. Guides should not leave a cave until all members of their group have left. Visitors should only be allowed on pathways and staircases, and they must be advised not to climb on the platforms or the limestone formations.

10. It is important that, prior to entering the cave sites, guides explain conditions of entry to members of their tour group, as well as the conservation reasons for these restrictions.

11.  It is highly recommended that each tour group be limited to ten to fifteen people, with a minimum of one tour guide per group per cave. The lower cave, in particular, cannot safely accommodate more people than this at any one time, and greater numbers would not allow for a full appreciation of the nature of the site.

12.  To aid visitor safety, it is recommended that the pathway leading from the lower eating area to the lower cave be leveled and reinforced. Parts of the path and associated steps have eroded down the hillside and are potentially hazardous to path users.

13.  It is recommended that rainwater be collected, particularly at the upper cave, for human use. At the time of the site visit, water was being manually carried up from the Mekong River to service both toilet blocks.

14.  It is suggested that translations of this document be circulated to all relevant bodies associated with and/or responsible for the management of Tam Ting, including the Lao Office of Tourism. Translated copies of these recommendations should be provided and explained to all on-site workers and tour guides at Tam Ting.

Recommendations for Future Site Management

Figure 13

Cave interior, showing ambience created by visitor candlelight.

It is further recommended that the following steps be taken to encourage the future preservation of the caves: 7

Figure 14

Figure repaired using identifiable fragments.

Postscript

Information is for official guides to sell printed literature at a nominal fee, in person, to the visitors.

4.  A visitors' book and pencil should be kept at the caves to reduce the risk of site graffiti. Guest books can offer an alternative to vandalism, as they have shown to be effective as an outlet for graffiti and offensive comments.

5.  Visitor access to the site should be restricted to built-platform viewing areas, not the use of the limestone formations as platforms or areas within hand's reach of the sculptures. Low barriers, possibly using natural plant-fiber rope or bamboo fences, might be effective psychological deterrents to touching or picking up sculptures.

6.  Bats and wasps should be removed from the caves and kept out by the use of screening material. First, however, the bats should be identified to determine if they are an endangered species.

7.  Samples of the platform brickwork should be inspected by a conservation architect to determine the need for their replacement. They appear to lack cohesion and strength, thereby endangering the Buddha sculptures.

8.  Graffiti should be identified and removed appropriately.

9.  Further research should be undertaken on the religious and cultural significance of the site and the art history of the caves' Buddhist images. There is also a need for further research to determine where the majority of the caves' sculptures have been relocated.

10.  Samples should be taken of sculpture materials (i. e., lacquers, gilding, and the various substrates, such as wood, bronze, resin, horn, and ceramic) and then analyzed for exact composition. Although not directly relevant to the management program of the site, information derived from these analyses can greatly assist in future conservation treatment, art and archaeological studies of the area, and methods of manufacture (Fig. 14).

11.  Small wooden carvings should be sold as souvenirs at the entrance of the caves. Although images of the Buddha may be found for sale in the markets of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, this practice is frowned upon by devout Buddhists. It is therefore suggested that the local villagers of Pak Ou be encouraged to carve images of Phi figures or to imitate some of the caves' architectural features and sell them to Tam Ting visitors. This would provide the villagers with additional income as well as reduce the risk of cave-sculpture theft.

Since this paper was presented in 1993, the project team, including staff and students from the University of Canberra, as well as federal and provincial staff of the Lao Ministry of Information and Culture, have returned to the site in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Some of the aforementioned