A Giant Sandstone Guardian Statue Was Discovered At A Remote Temple In Cambodia, Broken Into Six Pieces
In 2017, archaeologists were clearing rubble from a collapsed gate at a remote temple in Cambodia’s Angkor Wat when they discovered a large sandstone guardian statue.
They believed the statue was buried after the upper structure of the temple caved in. As a result, the statue’s body was broken into six pieces.
The guardian statue is known as a dvarapala. According to the Aspara National Authority (ANA), it was found near the eastern entrance of Banteay Prei within the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park in Cambodia, which stretches across more than 250 square miles.
“A significant archaeological find has been made at the Banteay Prei Temple,” said a representative for the ANA.
“The statue was located to the east of the temple’s second gate, buried approximately 80 centimeters (~31 inches) under the ground.”
The statue was found with its head down, facing west. It was in relatively good condition, although it suffered some damage when the gate’s upper structure collapsed. It was broken into six pieces—the neck, left forearm, waist, and below the knees of each leg.
It stood just over five feet tall and was crafted in the Bayon style, which was adopted during the last stage of the construction of state temples at Angkor. The style is typically associated with slightly smiling, serene faces.
The Banteay Prei temple was built in the late 1200s or 1300s. It was commissioned by King Jayavarman VII in honor of his father.
The statue guarded the temple’s gate, just like many other statues from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina cultures.
jeeweevh – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
They usually hold weapons like swords or maces to represent warriors protecting royal and religious sites.
The sandstone guardian statue was transported to the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum for further study, where it remains preserved today.
The discovery of the guardian statue was not the only fascinating find to come from Angkor Wat Archaeological Park over the years.
During an excavation at the Ta Prohm temple within the park earlier in 2017, archaeologists unearthed more than 100 Buddha statues.
The statues came in various sizes and had been rendered in a number of different positions. They often sat cross-legged. They were also made in the Bayon style during the late 12th and early 13th centuries.
Nowadays, Angkor Wat is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. At one point, it was announced as the most photogenic site in Asia, beating out icons like China’s Great Wall, the Taj Mahal, Kyoto’s Historical Monuments of Japan, and more. It is one of the biggest tourist hotspots in Asia.
The site attracted over 651,000 visitors in the first eight months of 2024, earning more than $31 million in ticket sales.
In December 2023, Angkor Wat became the unofficial “Eighth Wonder of the World,” replacing Pompeii in Italy.
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