16 of devoting an entire lifetime to research on Angkor. They were all single, and at that time I muttered to myself as to whether I too would be able to lead such a life, fully absorbed in research. In other words, regardless of the fact that it was done in an entirely anomalous manner, I had nevertheless begun to take my initial steps along the path of research on the Angkor ruins. First of all, my days were spent moving about and observing diverse ruins, owing to my desire to see as many of them as I could. At the site, Dr. Groslier was in charge of architecture and archeology, but he was also an expert on the study of history, through deciphering inscriptions carved upon the stone pillars of those times (what we call Inscriptional Literature). Under his guidance I studied Sanskrit and Old Khmer by using traditional Japanese syllabary, and struggled hard in my efforts at deciphering inscriptions. My Professor advised me as follows: “You will not understand history merely by reading inscriptions. You need to actually touch the ruins and feel them with your body.” So, as a special case, I was allowed to join the ‘Workshop on Conservation and Restoration,’ that was regularly held for the training of Cambodian conservation officers. The participants were young Cambodian researchers who had just been appointed conservation officers, that is, archaeological and architectural site conservators who had been assigned to the region by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. At the archaeological sites I joined the other village workers in the backfilling of excavated spots, reloading of stones and so on, and continued supplementary assistance. I even discussed personal matters with my companions. As seniors studying under Dr. Groslier, Mr. Buon and Mr. Pich Keo in particular taught me a variety of things, and I grew close to them.
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