Alexa, play “Reunited” by Peaches & Herb! Deep in the heart of Cambodia, the ancient temple complex of Angkor is breathing new life into ancient stories. Known around the world for its stunning stone towers and intricate carvings, Angkor Wat isn’t just a tourist destination; it’s a living archaeological site. Every stone has a memory, and recently, one of those memories resurfaced, the torso of a centuries-old Buddha statue, hidden beneath the earth for generations.
Buddha torso found in 2025 at Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia
(photo credit: Apsara National Authority (ANA)
In February 2025, archaeologists working at Ta Prohm Temple, one of Angkor’s most iconic sites, famous for the trees that twist dramatically through its walls, made a remarkable discovery. They unearthed the torso of a Buddha statue dating back to the 12th or 13th century. But this wasn’t just any statue. It’s believed to match a Buddha head found at the same site in 1927, during the French colonial era in Cambodia. For archaeologists, this is like finding two pieces of a long-lost puzzle.
The torso was carved during the Bayon period, an era in which art and architecture flourished under the Khmer Empire. It’s smooth and finely sculpted, displaying the elegant, serene lines that characterized Buddhist imagery of the time. Even in its incomplete state, the statue radiates calm and spiritual strength, a reminder of how deeply Buddhism has shaped Cambodian culture.
The discovery is part of ongoing conservation work led by Cambodia’s Apsara National Authority, the organization responsible for protecting and restoring Angkor. Teams were excavating near Ta Prohm as part of broader site stabilization efforts when the torso emerged from the soil. The area is regularly surveyed for damage, but every dig carries the possibility of uncovering something extraordinary. This time, they struck gold or, in this case, stone.
What makes this find so meaningful isn’t just its artistic value. For decades, the Buddha’s head and body have been separated, like two fragments of a forgotten story. One found under colonial rule and the other found in an independent country. Now, experts hope to reunite them in a single display, giving visitors a more complete picture of the temple’s spiritual past. It’s a rare opportunity to connect a modern discovery to an early 20th-century find, bridging generations of archaeological work.
3D reconstruction of what the head and body would look like together
(photo credit: Olivier CUNIN/ANA)
This moment also shines a light on how much remains beneath Cambodia’s sacred sites. The temples of Angkor have endured centuries of weathering, conflict, and looting. Statues were broken, scattered, or stolen. Many now sit in museums abroad. But finds like this prove that history isn’t gone, it’s waiting patiently beneath the ground, ready to be remembered.
For Cambodians, the statue’s reemergence carries emotional weight. It’s not just an artifact, it’s a piece of cultural identity being returned to the present. For the world, it’s a powerful reminder that heritage is alive, it can be lost, rediscovered, and reconnected.
As archaeologists carefully clean and document the statue, the Buddha’s calm gaze, once divided, may soon face the world again as one. In a place where the past breathes among the present, this discovery is more than a find. It’s a reunion, nearly a century in the making.
https://apnews.com/article/angkor-wat-art-archaeology-buddha-statue-5b1196c0d695436efeb40debd07f82d0