Siem Reap: Archeologists have uncovered a centuries-old body of a Buddha statue during the second excavation at Ta Prohm Temple, located in Cambodia's renowned Angkor Archaeological Park.
According to Lao News Agency, the APSARA National Authority (ANA), which oversees the protection of the Angkor Archaeological Park, announced that the head of the Buddha statue was originally discovered in 1927 and is currently preserved at the Angkor Conservation. The recent excavation at Ta Prohm Temple yielded significant archaeological findings, including the body of the Buddha statue.
The second excavation, conducted in February by the ANA in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), targeted an area outside the laterite enclosure northeast of the temple's third gallery. The newly-discovered Buddha statue, represented in the Bayon style, was found to be missing its head, feet, and right hand. Standing at 1.16 meters tall with a shoulder width of 56 centimeters, the statue was adorned with jewelry and featured a robe and veil. It also displayed a unique left-hand gesture placed on the chest, which is an uncommon representation in Khmer art.
Archaeologists identified that the body of the Buddha statue matched previously excavated pieces of a hand and a foot, both discovered during the first excavation last July. The head of the Buddha statue was scanned and compared with the newly found body, allowing for a near-complete reassembly of the statue, with only the right hand still missing.
According to the ANA, the purpose of these excavations was to organize and preserve the numerous art objects scattered throughout the Ta Prohm Temple complex. In April 2024, the ANA unearthed over 100 pieces of sandstone Buddha statues during their excavations at Ta Prohm Temple.