A small landlocked country in South-East Asia, Laos was part of the immense Khmer empire more than a millennium ago. In the village of Nong Hua Thong, a farmer made an astonishing discovery in 2009 while digging his field: sixty pieces of finely crafted goldwork, coming from various cultural areas. In 2023, for the first time, an international team of researchers is authorized to study them. From what era do these precious artifacts date? Why were they hidden? What do they reveal about the society that produced them? Preserved in a secure vault, where archaeologists have set up their laboratory, in the neighboring town of Savannakhet, the pieces are examined one by one, as are the 1,800 fragments that accompanied them. In the process, new excavations were undertaken near the site of their discovery, under the direction of Nicolas Nauleau, associated with the French School of the Far East (EFEO). Soon, the remains of a dwelling were brought to light. But the researchers are not at the end of their surprises…
From Laos to Angkor
Fourteen years after the discovery in Laos of a treasure representing a total of 24 kilos of gold, silver and precious stones, kept under lock and key until then by the country’s authorities, an international team made up of archaeologists, curators and scientists look at the history of these objects for the first time. From their first hypotheses in the laboratory to the expedition which led some of them to the summit of Phu Kao – a sacred mountain for Hindus – and to the monumental religious site of Vat Phu which extends at its feet, this documentary accompanies researchers in their discoveries, which open a new window on the origins of the powerful Khmer empire. A warlike and sophisticated society, the Khmer civilization spread across the Indochinese peninsula between the 9th and 14th centuries. She bequeathed to us, in what is now Cambodia, the immense medieval city of Angkor, which was in its time one of the largest cities on the planet.
