‘Rare’ statue sat hidden in dried-up pond at 800-year-old temple — until now. See it

Aspen Pflughoeft
·2 min read
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A dried-up pond sat in the shadow of an imposing 800-year-old temple in Cambodia. The temple may have attracted the most attention, but, as archaeologists recently discovered, the pond held its own secrets too.

The Bayon is an elaborate Buddhist temple built in the 12th century at the same complex that includes the iconic Angkor Wat temple, according to Cambodia’s APSARA National Authority, the department who manages the complex.

As part of their ongoing work, archaeologists excavated a dried-up pond near the Bayon temple — and found a “rare” turtle statue, the Phnom Penh Post, a Cambodian news outlet, reported.

The sandstone turtle was buried in the middle of the long-gone pond at a depth of about 5 feet, Cambodia’s Heritage Protection Police Department said in an April 22 Facebook post.

Archaeologists move the turtle statue found under a dried-up pond.
Archaeologists move the turtle statue found under a dried-up pond.

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A photo shows the dusty stone creature. The turtle’s head is poking out of its shell and looking upward.

Police said the statue measured about 22 inches in length, 17 inches in width and 8 inches in height. The statue required three people to lift and move, photos show, but its weight was not provided.

The figure “is believed to be the symbol of happiness, prosperity, and development,” Long Kosal, a spokesperson for APSARA National Authority, told Khmer Times, a Cambodian news outlet.

The turle statue before being fully excavated.
The turle statue before being fully excavated.

Archaeologists did not provide an exact age of the statue, but Kosal told Khmer Times that the dried-up pond was also built in the 12th century as part of Bayon temple.

“While many believed there was nothing left to find, our archaeological research has uncovered evidence that Bayon temple actually boasted two ponds on its eastern side,” Kosal told the Phnom Penh Post.

Excavations of the dry pond also uncovered “thousands of pieces of ancient stone, some of which are recognised to be part of some big statues,” Kosal told Khmer Times. The project is ongoing.

The stone turtle found near an 800-year-old temple.
The stone turtle found near an 800-year-old temple.

The turtle was moved to the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siem Reap, police said.

The Bayon and Angkor Wat are both part of the Angkor Thom complex in Siem Reap. Cambodia is in southeast Asia, bordering Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Cambodia’s Heritage Protection Police Department.

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