In the Shadow of George Cœdès

In October 1929, the young French architect Jean-Yves Claeys (1896–1978), newly appointed as a permanent member of the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), embarked on a two-month archeological mission in Siam. He traveled from south to north―Chaiya to Chiang Saen―passing through Ayutthaya, Phetchaburi, Chiang Mai, and other historic cities. Working in the shadow of George Cœdès, who played a key role in shaping the mission, Claeys nonetheless contributed original observations and documentation. His fieldwork resulted in a substantial article published in 1931 and was also captured in a silent documentary film that now serves as a valuable archival record. This article revisits the origins and trajectory of Claeys’s mission and examines its significance within the broader context of the EFEO’s relations with Siamese scholarly institutions at the time

Cambodian History and Society · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies