Cambodia: 12 door guardian statues unearthed at Angkor

Phnom Penh: Archaeologists have discovered 12 door guardian statues during a recent excavation at the north gate of the ancient Royal Palace within Angkor Thom in Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) reported on Monday.

The ANA is the government agency responsible for managing, safeguarding and preserving the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO-listed world heritage site, situated in Siem Reap province.

Archaeologist Sorn Chanthorn said the archaeological effort was a collaborative project between the ANA and the China-Cambodia Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor (CCSA), Xinhua news agency reported.

"These statues were uncovered while studying the gate's structure and searching for fallen stones," he said. "Notably, the 12th statue was found buried at a depth of 140 cm," he said.

Chanthorn added that these sandstone statues vary in size and shape, with some measuring 110 cm high and others 100 cm high, "Each statue features different facial and hair ornaments."

After the discovery, the archaeological team documented the statues' original locations, took photographs, and prepared for cleaning and restoration before returning them to their initial positions, he added.

"Experts believe these door guardian statues exemplify the Khleang style, aligning with the construction period of the 11th century Royal Palace," Chanthorn said.

The ancient Royal Palace is a large rectangularly walled area located within Angkor Thom in the Angkor Archaeological Park, which is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation.

The Angkor Archaeological Park attracted almost 700,000 international visitors during the January-September period of 2024, earning a gross revenue of $32.5 million from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.