Workers cleaning up dirt at 800-year-old temple uncover dozens of ancient statues
Workers assigned to clean up a pile of dirt at an 800-year-old temple in Cambodia quickly found their task was anything but straightforward. Instead, the project uncovered dozens of ancient statues.
The team of workers were just planing to clean a section of Ta Prohm temple and catalog some of the stones scattered nearby, APSARA National Authority said in an April 30 news release.
But then they found a few fragments of an ancient-looking statue.
Intrigued, the workers dug deeper only to unearth “more and more statue fragments,” archaeologists said. In total, they found “more than 100 pieces of sandstone Buddha statues.”
The buried statues were decently sized and relatively well-preserved, photos show. The artifacts appear to be grouped together in a rectangular stone-walled pit.
Archaeologists have identified only a few of the many statues. Their exact ages remain unknown.
Some fragments depict Buddha being sheltered by a Naga, or serpent king, archaeologists said. These types of statues were popularized in Cambodia in the 12th century during the reign of Jayavarman VII, king of the Khmer Empire, according to the Met Museum.
Ta Prohm, the 800-year-old temple where the statues were found, was also built during this time and is part of the same complex that includes the iconic Angkor Wat temple, according to the authorities who manage the complex. Today, the temple is known for the large trees growing on top of it, their roots cascading into the ruins.
Other statues unearthed at Ta Prohm temple depict a legendary Buddhist figure known as Avalokiteśvara, archaeologists said. Avalokiteśvara is also known in Cambodia as Lokeshvara, a name meaning “Lord of the World,” according to Britannica.
Photos show just a few of the ancient statues.
More statues may be buried farther down in the pit, but archaeologists aren’t sure. Excavations are currently on hold while the ancient statues are being documented and studied.
Ta Prohm temple and Angkor Wat are both part of the Angkor Thom complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Cambodia is in southeast Asia, bordering Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
This story was originally published May 1, 2024 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Workers cleaning up dirt at 800-year-old temple uncover dozens of ancient statues."
