New Observations at P’ong Tuk and Ongoing Issues with the Conceptualization of Dvāravatī

From the author’s remarks: ​‘Certain Dvāravatī ritual forms (e.g. repetition of the mudra on both hands of an image, the prevalence of the vitarka mudra, the monumental cakra wheels, and the ​“Banaspati” iconography) indicate a new synthesis of Buddhist practice distinct from forms in South Asia. Most of these new forms have been documented at P’ong Tuk, and additional patterns at the site, such as the close spatial positioning of inhumation burials and ritual architecture (Clarke 2014), may further describe an early Southeast Asian admixture of Indic and indigenous practices. The combination of Buddhist and Brahmanical elements, as well as non-local and indigenous ritual elements, is typical of Dvāravatī settlements.’

‘The Visnu figure uncovered at P’ong Tuk also exhibits elements that appear to have connections to the northwest, and also to Khmer and Cham sculpture to the east.’