Connaître, préserver et valoriser le patrimoine culturel à Champasak et Savannakhet (CHAMPA)

In 2020, the French Development Agency and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism launched the CHAMPA project, aimed at better understanding, protecting and promoting the cultural heritage of southern Laos, in the provinces of Champasak and Savannakhet. The Vat Phu – Champasak site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, is home to a centuries-old sanctuary overlooking the Mekong and the buried remains of a pre-Angkorian capital; Savannakhet province, for its part, preserves evidence of continuous occupation from prehistoric times through to the colonial era, including an exceptional treasure trove of gold and silver artefacts dating from the end of the first millennium, discovered in 2008 and never before exhibited. The scientific component of the project is led by the EFEO, under the coordination of Christophe Pottier, and comprises archaeological mapping—including LiDAR surveying covering over 4,000 km²—the continuation of archaeological excavations, the enhancement of heritage sites and buildings, the study and conservation of the Savannakhet treasure, the exhibition design for the Savannakhet Provincial Museum, the fitting out of a metal conservation workshop at the Savannakhet Museum and the fitting out of a conservation workshop and storage facilities at the Vat Phu Museum, as well as the training of local staff (workers, technicians and supervisors). The project aims both to preserve an exceptional yet little-known heritage and to promote the sustainable development of tourism, a key sector of the Lao economy.

Deliverables:

• Pottier C., Le Maux C., Hawixbrock C., Nauleau N., Bazin D., Evans D. et al., Projet CHAMPA. Rapport d’exécution technique et financière synthétique. Année 2020, EFEO/AFD, 2021. [hal-03629246]
• Pottier C., Le Maux C., Hawixbrock C., Nauleau N., Bazin D., Evans D. et al., Projet CHAMPA. Rapport d’exécution technique et financière synthétique. Année 2021, EFEO, 2022. [hal-03982378]
• Pottier C., Le Maux C., Hawixbrock C., Nauleau N., Bazin D. et al., Projet CHAMPA. Rapport d’exécution technique et financière synthétique. Année 2022, EFEO, 2023. [hal-04993353]
• Documentary Laos – Le trésor oublié de la civilisation khmère | National Geographic / ARTE 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Yb8a28Giw
• AFD video documentary, « Programme Champa au Laos, ou comment la technologie aide à protéger le patrimoine », October 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_vrKQDQ__I.
• Renovation and exhibition design of the Savannakhet Provincial Museum (in progress).
• Upcoming productions: rapports d’exécution 2023-2025, publications archéologiques sur les résultats de la cartographie LiDAR et des fouilles, valorisation muséographique du trésor de Savannakhet.