'Rare' turtle statue unearthed from a dried-up pond at 800-year-old Cambodian temple

A “rare” turtle statue was unearthed from an 800-year-old temple in Cambodia in a surprise development during escavation ofa dried-up pond near the Bayon temple.

Bayon is an elaborate Buddhist temple built in the 12th century at the same complex that includes the iconic Angkor Wat temple.

The temple has always been a pilgrimage site for Buddhistsbut with the discovery of the statue last week, the pond site will also attract attention.

Bayon was built as the state temple of King Jayavarman VII and stands at the centre of Jayavaraman’s capital, Angkor Thom, as per Cambodia’s APSARA National Authority, which manages the complex.

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Recently, the pond situated at the Bayon temple caught the eye of archaeologists as they believeit holds many secrets.

“Rare” sandstone turtle statue found in 800-year-old temple

The sandstone turtle statue was found buried in the middle of the disappeared pond.

According to Cambodia’s Heritage Protection Police Department’s Facebook post on April 22, the statue was recovered from a depth of about five feet.

Take a closer look at the statue.

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

The Cambodian police said the statue measured about 22 inches in length, 17 inches in width and eight inches in height.

The exact weight of the statue is not known, but photos showed that it took three people to lift the ancient statue from the site.

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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.

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 the Bayon temple, so they believe that the statue also belongs to the same timeline.

“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.

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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 turtle statue has been moved to the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siem Reap, police said.

(With inputs from agencies)