Statue Fragment Unearthed in Siem Reap

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—The Khmer Times reports that the three-foot-long torso section of a sandstone statue was discovered at the site of the ninth-century A.D. Preah Ko temple in northwestern Cambodia by a local resident who contacted heritage authorities. Ly Vanna of the Apsara Authority said the statue’s head, hands, and feet are missing. The figure was depicted wearing a short skirt decorated with fishtail patterns and a belt. “The kind of clothing is similar to that of a Vishnu of Prea Ko style,” Vanna said, although without the figure’s head or hands, it will be difficult to confirm its identity. Statues of Vishnu feature four hands, while statues of Shiva have two, he explained. For more, go to “Letter from Cambodia: Storied Landscape.”