Archaeologists in Cambodia found the torso of a Buddha statue during the second excavation at Ta Prohm Temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park. The torso matches a head found nearly a century ago in 1927, allowing for a near-complete reassembly of the statue, with only the right hand still missing.
Conducted in February by the APSARA National Authority (ANA) in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India, the second excavation yielded the torso and 29 fragments of the same statue. The newly discovered torso stands 1.16 meters tall and is believed to date back to the 12th or 13th century.
"Only the right hand is still missing," said Neth Simon, an archaeologist with the APSARA National Authority, according to News China. The head of the Buddha statue, uncovered in 1927, is currently housed at the Angkor Conservation. It was scanned and compared with the newly found body, confirming that the torso and head are a match.
The statue features a unique left-hand gesture placed on the chest, an uncommon representation in Khmer art. It displays carved jewelry, a robe, and a sash. The left hand and the foot were both found during the first phase of excavations in July 2023. These earlier excavations also yielded over 100 pieces of sandstone Buddha statues, indicating the rich historical significance of the site.
Ta Prohm Temple, built in the late 12th century under the reign of King Jayavarman VII, is among the key temples in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park. The park, located in Siem Reap province, covers approximately 401 square kilometers and is home to 91 ancient temples constructed from the ninth to the 13th centuries. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and serves as Cambodia's most popular tourist destination.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
