International News
·

Large ancient statue found at Angkor complex

BDC News

Phnom Penh, Aug 1 Archaeologists have unearthed a large ancient statue during excavations in the Angkor complex in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, an official said on Tuesday.
Long Kosal, Deputy Director of the Communications Department of the Apsara Authority that manages the park, said the 1.9-meter tall, 58-cm wide statue was found on Saturday by a group of researchers from the Apsara Authority and Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
“The statue is thought to be from the late 12th or early 13th century,” the official told Xinhua news agency.
He said the research group discovered the statue while excavating an Angkor-era hospital built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.
The statue, with its arms and legs broken off, is believed to be a guardian of the ancient hospital’s entrance, he said. The statue was buried about 40 cm under the ground.
The 401 sq km Angkor archaeological park, inscribed on the Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1992, is the kingdom’s most popular tourist destination.
–IANS

The statue is missing both of its feet, with the right leg ending just before the ankle, while the left leg ends near the bottom of the thigh. And, both arms are missing just below the shoulders

Experts estimate the ancient hospital site dates back to a period between eight and nine centuries ago, and the remarkable artifact is now said to be one of the largest statues from the era to be unearthed in recent years. The statue was found by a team including experts from Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies according the Apsara Authority

Experts estimate the ancient hospital site dates back to a period between eight and nine centuries ago, and the remarkable artifact is now said to be one of the largest statues from the era to be unearthed in recent years. The statue was found by a team including experts from Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies according the Apsara Authority

ancient statue
Archaeologists excavating a site at Cambodia’s sprawling Angkor Wat temple complex have unearthed a massive statue thought to be the symbolic ‘guardian’ of an ancient hospital. It stands 1.9-meters (6-foot, 3-inch) tall, and 58-centimeters (23-inch) wide

--IANS
sms\rm
(This story has not been edited by BDC staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed from IANS.)
Writers are welcome to submit their articles for publication. Please contact us through Contact Us in the Menue
BDC TV