ABSTRACT
Cambodia is famed for its enigmatic temples and massive stone faces peering through the jungle foliage. Regrettably, this country’s great heritage is being decimated by widespread looting, not only of the temples but also of its older archaeological sites. This alarming destruction prompted a concerned group of international scholars to form Heritage Watch, a nonprofi t organisation dedicated to saving Cambodia’s cultural legacy (www. heritagewatchinternational.org). The particular catalyst for the creation of Heritage Watch was the rampant looting of Phum Snay, an immense Iron Age burial ground in Cambodia’s northwest. After its discovery in 1999, Phum Snay was destroyed by looters seeking its rich grave offeringsbeautiful ceramics, iron weapons and gold and bronze jewellery ( Figure 17.1 ). Rescue excavations were undertaken at the site, but 90 percent of it was already lost. Realising that an entire chapter of Cambodia’s history was disappearing, Heritage Watch was founded and has been working since 2003 to raise awareness of looting and its consequences and to research the trade of illicit Cambodian antiquities.
