A Buddha statue with a head that has been in 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, recent excavations at Ta Prohm temple have yielded important archaeological discoveries, including the Bayon-style statue of Buddha, which was missing its head, feet and right hand. The statue, which stands 1.16 metres high and has a shoulder width of 56 centimetres, is a remarkable example of Khmer art.
In particular, it is adorned with jewels, a robe and a veil, with a unique gesture of the left hand placed on the chest, an unusual representation in Khmer art.
Investigations revealed that this body matched previously exhumed parts, notably the hand and foot, discovered during the first phase of excavations in July 2024.
In addition, the head of the Buddha statue, discovered in 1927 and currently stored at the Angkor Conservation Centre, was digitised and compared with the newly discovered body.
This comparison enabled the statue to be almost completely reassembled, with the exception of the right hand, which is still missing.
The second phase of excavations, carried out by the APSARA National Authority in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), focused on an area outside the laterite enclosure, north-east of the temple's third gallery, and took place in February 2025.
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