SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—An excavation conducted by Cambodia’s Heritage Protection Police and the APSARA National Authority near the Angkor Thom temple complex has uncovered the head of a statue of a deity, according to The Phnom Pen Post. Angkor Thom, built in the late twelfth century by Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181–1218), was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. The carving, including pieces of its mouth and nose, was found about 330 feet from the city’s Victory Gate, where other large statues of deities are situated. “The discovery of the head is just the beginning of our work here,” said Long Kosal of the APSARA Authority. The statue has been taken to the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum for examination and conservation. To read about other sandstone statues recently uncovered at Angkor, go to "Around the World: Cambodia."
