AKP Phnom Penh, March 10, 2025 --

A Buddha statue with a head preserved at the Angkor Conservation since the French colonial period has been unearthed during the second phase of excavations at Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap province.

According to the APSARA National Authority, the recent excavations at Ta Prohm Temple have yielded significant archaeological findings, including the Buddha statue in the Bayon style, which was missing its head, feet, and right hand. This statue stands 1.16 metres tall and has a shoulder width of 56 centimetres. Notably, it is adorned with jewelry and features a robe and veil, with a unique left-hand gesture placed on the chest—an uncommon representation in Khmer art.

Archaeologist Ms. Neth Simon reported that the body of the Buddha statue was registered as No. 294. During the excavations, the team identified that this body matched previously excavated pieces: the hand registered as No. 292 and the foot registered as No. 168, both found during the first phase of excavations in July 2024.

Additionally, the head of the Buddha statue, which was discovered in 1927 and is currently housed at the Angkor Conservation under registration number DCA.6883-N139, was scanned and compared with the newly found body. This comparison allowed for a near-complete reassembly of the statue, with only the right hand still missing, she continued.

Conducted by the APSARA National Authority in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the second phase of excavations took place in February 2025, focusing on an area outside the laterite enclosure northeast of the temple's third gallery.

“These excavations aim to organise and preserve the numerous art objects scattered throughout the Ta Prohm complex, highlighting the ongoing efforts to protect and understand Cambodia's rich cultural heritage,” underlined the APSARA National Authority.

By C. Nika