A team of archaeologists accidentally unearthed an 800 year old sandstone statue near the north gate of Angkor Thom, the magnificent walled city at the heart of the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.

The excavation team were studying four Angkor-era hospitals which are located at the four cardinal points of Angkor Thom and were discovered 100 years ago by French archaeologists but have never been excavated. It is thought that King Jayavarman VII, the most prolific monument builder of the Angkor era, constructed 102 hospitals during his reign in the 12th and 13th centuries. The statue was discovered at the site of the Tonle Sgout hospital and the team believe the 2 meter tall statue served as its guardian.

This is a significant find for the team on only the 2nd day of the dig, who knows what else they will uncover. The excavation is being conducted by the Apsara Authority in cooperation with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.