10th-century statue found under tree

Monday, 09 April 2012
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

An ancient statue of a Hindu god believed to be more than 1,000 years old was discovered on Thursday at Koh Ker National Park’s Prasat Chen temple, a conservationist told the Post yesterday.

APSARA Authority deputy director-general Seung Kong said workers had been cleaning the temple grounds when they found the statue under the roots of a tree.

It had been excavated and sent to the Preah Norodom Sihanouk Museum, in Siem Reap province, he said.

“It is a statue of Preah Neareay, with four arms, but the arms are broken off at the shoulders, there is no head and the legs are broken at the knees,” Seung Kong said. “We really don’t know how old the statue is, but we estimate that it is the architecture of Koh Ker, during 921AD.”

Questions and answers at dig

A carved, glazed roof tile endpiece found at an ancient Angkorian-era workshop in Siem Reap province. REUTERS

Hou Nolamony and An Sopheap archaeologists from the Apsara Authority who have been exploring the site. REUTERS

Dr Martin Polkinghorne, an archeaologist from The University of Sydney. REUTERS

Thursday, 08 December 2011
Nicky McGavin
The Phnom Penh Post

A team of archaeologists from the University of Sydney and the Apsara Authority has been exploring the site of an ancient sculpture workshop found near Bakong, one of the earliest Angkorian-era temples.

The workshop is one of three that have so far been discovered within the Angkor Archeological Park, and the team hopes that it will give them a deeper insight into the unknown artists.

“The history of Angkor is still being written”, said Dr Martin Polkinghorne from the University of Sydney, “And our understandings are rapidly changing. What we’re learning from the workshops is making an important contribution to the story.”

Discovery of major ancient iron foundry sites by Cambodian researchers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9bseTrk-fo&feature=channel_video_title

Cambodia puts 3,000-year-old pre-Angkor relics on show

PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The National Museum here on Wednesday opened an exhibition to demonstrate some archeological findings prior to the Angkor Era (802-1432), which was the most glorious period in the history of Cambodia.

The "Angkor Ancestors" show mainly features a recreation of an excavation site at the Angkor Wat area in Siem Reap province, complete with pottery shards and a 3,000-year-old skeleton.

Organized by a French research institution and the museum itself, the exhibition is the first ever held in the kingdom on the pre-Angkor period, said museum director Hab Touch.

"This is an opportunity for scholars as well as the public to understand prehistory. We know so little about it," he said.

The artifacts on display were found at two sites within the Angkor Wat area, a 2,000-year-old village location and a 3,000-year-old burial place.

Currently, the Angkor Wat is the most welcomed tourist destination in Cambodia.

Before the Angkor Dynasty, there were two dynasties governing Cambodia, respectively called Funan and Chenla.