Cambodian archaeologists discover a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues at Angkor UNESCO site

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Archaeologists in Cambodia have unearthed a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues in a “outstanding discovery” on the Angkor World Heritage Web site close to town of Siem Reap, authorities stated Wednesday.

The statues — depicting so-called “door guardians” — had been found final week close to the north gate resulting in the Eleventh-century Royal Palace at Angkor Thom, the final capital of the Khmer Empire, stated Lengthy Kosal, spokesman for the Apsara Nationwide Authority, the federal government company that oversees the archaeological park.

Groups had been assessing the traditional gate’s construction and looking for fallen stones across the portal on the north facet of Angkor Thom, certainly one of 4 entrances to the complicated, when the invention was made.

The statues depict guardians standing at consideration and differ in measurement from about 1 meter to 110 centimeters, or about 39 to 43 inches. They had been discovered buried at depths of as much as 1.4 meters (4.5 ft) and a few are in surprisingly fine condition, with every that includes distinctive facial hair ornaments, including to their distinctiveness, archaeologist Sorn Chanthorn stated.

“Consultants consider these door guardian statues exemplify the Khneang Fashion, aligning with the development interval of the Eleventh-century palace.” the Apsara Nationwide Authority stated.

Angkor Thom is a part of the Angkor Archaeological Park, a fancy that sprawls over some 400 sq. kilometers (155 sq. miles), named a UNESCO World Heritage Web site in 1992 and certainly one of Southeast Asia’s hottest vacationer locations.

It incorporates the ruins of Khmer Empire capitals from the ninth to fifteenth centuries, together with the temple of Angkor Wat.

The positioning, close to Siem Reap, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh, drew greater than 500,000 worldwide guests within the first half of 2024, in response to Cambodia’s Tourism Ministry.

The archaeological dig was a collaborative mission between Apsara and the China-Cambodia Authorities Staff for Safeguarding Angkor, Apsara stated.

Following the invention of the statues, the archaeological crew rigorously documented their positions earlier than eradicating them for cleansing and restoration. They’ll ultimately be returned to their unique areas, authorities stated.

Many Khmer cultural treasures had been looted throughout the lengthy interval of civil struggle and instability when Cambodia was dominated by the brutal communist Khmer Rouge regime within the Nineteen Seventies.

Cambodia has benefited from a development that in latest a long time has seen the repatriation of artwork and archaeological treasures taken from their homelands. In August, it celebrated the return of dozens of artifacts from museums and personal collections overseas.

It has additionally come below criticism for efforts to wash up the Angkor website, which has concerned relocating hundreds of households in what Amnesty Worldwide has condemned as a “gross violation of worldwide human rights regulation.”

At its assembly in July, the U.N.’s World Heritage Committee really helpful that Cambodia invite a brand new crew of specialists to watch the scenario.