SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—The Phnom Penh Post reports that more than 100 pieces of sandstone sculptures were uncovered at Ta Prohm, a temple built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries on the southern edge of the East Baray, an artificial body of water in Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. The temple is thought to have served as a royal monastery during the reign of Jayavarman VII, who ruled from 1181 to 1218, and is known for its construction without mortar. Researchers from the APSARA National Authority (ANA) had been removing built-up soil from an enclosure wall at the temple when they discovered the carvings. ANA archaeologist Neth Simon said that the sculptures show seated and standing Buddhas and Nagas, a spiritual snake-like guardian. The sculptures are also thought to date to the late twelfth or early thirteenth centuries. To read about other statues recently unearthed at the site, go to “Around the World: Cambodia.”
