Discovery of Sandstone Door-Guardian Statue at Banteay Prei Temple

A sandstone door-guardian statue (Dvarapala) has been discovered at Banteay Prei Temple by archaeologists of the Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology of the APSARA National Authority (ANA). The discovery of the statue in Cambodia's Siem Reap province was reported in a news release from the APSARA National Authority on Aug. 22. It added that the statue was located to the east of the temple's second gate, buried under the ground approximately 80 centimetres. Mr. Chea Sarith, one of the archaeologists, said that the statue appears to have been dislodged due to the collapse of the gate's upper structure. Despite this, the statue of the Bayon style, which stands about 1.60 metres tall, remains in relatively good condition, he added. It was found head down, facing west, with the body broken into six pieces, including damage to the neck, forearm, left side, waist, and below the knees of both legs. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse