A Dozen Centuries-Old Sandstone Statues Discovered In Angkor

Archaeologists in Cambodia have uneard a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues at Angkor World Heritage Site near city of Siem Reap, authorities said on Wednesday.

statues — depicting so-called “door guardians” — were discovered last week near north gate leing to 11th-century Royal Palace at Angkor Thom, last capital of Khmer Empire.

Teams were assessing ancient gate's structure and searching for fallen stones around portal on north side of Angkor Thom, one of four entrances to complex, when discovery was me.

statues depict guardians standing at attention and vary in size from about 1 meter to 110 centimeters, or about 39 to 43 inches. y were found buried at depths of up to 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) and some are in surprisingly good shape, with each featuring unique facial hair ornaments.

Angkor Thom is part of Angkor Archaeological Park, a complex that sprawls over some 400 square kilometers (155 square miles). It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and one of Souast Asia's most popular tourist destinations.

It contains ruins of Khmer Empire capitals from 9th to 15th centuries, including temple of Angkor Wat.

At its meeting in July, U.N.'s World Heritage Committee recommended that Cambodia invite a new team of experts to monitor situation.