Archaeologists discover ancient Buddha statues in Cambodia

via Khmer NZ

Phnom Penh, Aug 25 (Kyodo) Japanese archaeologists have discovered six ancient Buddha statues in Cambodia, a member of the team has said. Yukitsugu Tabata, an archaeologist and a team leader at the excavation site told Kyodo News that the six statues were unearthed Friday at Banteay Kdei Temple, which is located 7 kilometers east of Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat Temple. He said the discovery of the severed upper halves of the six statues came during the month-long excavation work that began on Aug 13. The statues date back in the 13th century and are in the Bayon style, said Tabata. The statues are believed to have been made about the same time as the death of King Jayavarman VII, founder of the Banteay Kdei Temple and after which his successor changed the established religion from Mahayana Buddhism to Hinduism.(Kyodo)