Editing Khmer architecture (section)

===Laterite===
Angkorian builders used laterite, a clay that is soft when taken from the ground but that hardens when exposed to the sun, for foundations and other hidden parts of buildings. Because the surface of laterite is uneven, it was not suitable for decorative carvings, unless first dressed with stucco. Laterite was more commonly used in the Khmer provinces than at Angkor itself.<ref>Freeman and Jacques, ''Ancient Angkor'', p. 29.</ref> Because the water table in this entire region is well high, Laterite has been used in the underlying layers of Angkor Wat and other temples (especially the larger ones), because it can absorb water and help towards better stability of the Temple.

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File:Preah Ko 1.jpg|[[Preah Ko]], completed in 879 CE, was a temple made mainly of brick.
File:Ta Keo 01.jpg|[[Ta Keo]], a temple built in the 10th century, was constructed more or less entirely from sandstone.
File:Prasat Prang Ku Somboon-006.jpg|Prasat Prang Ku in [[Sisaket Province|Sisaket]], [[Thailand]], was built with laterite.
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