Hidden paintings discovered at Angkor Wat

[UM-Bot]

More than 200 pictures have been identified on the walls of the ancient temple using digital imaging.

With millions of visitors every year it might seem like everything that there is to see there would have already been found, but now researchers have managed to discover a whole new series of images on the building's walls that had remained hidden for centuries because they are invisible to the naked eye.

Read More: http://www.unexplain...d-at-angkor-wat

[paperdyer]

Very interesting. The article doesn't state this, but are these images just worn off or were they painted over to hide them and some of the original paint started coming through?

[Silent Trinity]

Definitely a fascinating discovery at this wondrous site. I agree with paperdyer however; It would be interesting to discover if they were worn of due to the ravages of time or are these recently discovered art works, merely previous layers that have been painted over?...

[ancient astronaut]

I have always wanted to go there. Fascinating place.

[JGirl]

where are the images? or are we just talking about them and not actually going to get to see them?

[Welsh Shaun]

I would love to see the images too

[Sundew]

I have always wanted to go there. Fascinating place.

Was there about three years ago, amazing place, as are the other ruins and temples in the area. The scale of Angkor Wat is mind boggling. They said that in building ever larger temples, it finally bankrupted the civilization that built them, and I can believe it.

[toast]

where are the images? or are we just talking about them and not actually going to get to see them?

http://www.livescience.com/45904-photos-secret-paintings-of-angkor-wat.html

[JGirl]

http://www.livescien...angkor-wat.html

this is it?

really?

lol

secret paintings huh?

ok

[Kenemet]

To answer the question about the images, they were erased by rain and humidity and plants and bacteria (and possibly by conservation efforts as well.) They seem to be more graffiti (according to the article.)

The fading is similar to what happens to Native American rock art (pictographs.)

[calaf]

where are the images? or are we just talking about them and not actually going to get to see them?

Pardon, but you do realize where you are.

[ancient astronaut]

Was there about three years ago, amazing place, as are the other ruins and temples in the area. The scale of Angkor Wat is mind boggling. They said that in building ever larger temples, it finally bankrupted the civilization that built them, and I can believe it.

Is it as massive as it looks? It is definitely a(n) engineering marvel.

[Sundew]

Is it as massive as it looks? It is definitely a(n) engineering marvel.

Absolutely! It has a gigantic moat around it that you would need a boat to cross, then a huge open area of lawn with a few trees and palms, and locals selling various items. Then there is a long causeway with the many headed cobra god carved in stone on either side. The temple itself is rather confusing, there are many passages and odd rooms, some of which don't make since with no points of reference or knowledge of the history. There are still large Buddhas inside and monks in orange robes decorating them, burning incense, etc. There are lots of kids running around trying to sell you hand painted pictures and postcards. The building has some dangerous areas; you have to be careful climbing to upper levels. There are huge faces of the Buddha caved into the towers on all sides.

Then there is Angkor Thom, it is much smaller but whereas they have cleared the jungle away from Angkor Wat, at Angkor Thom the jungle has pretty much been left as it was found, centuries of jungle growth have done amazing things. Strangler figs and other plants have torn huge stones loose from buildings. There is a Buddha's head that was surrounded by fig roots and lifted off the ground several feet and it stares at you from the roots. There are dozens of other temples in the area, and they are quite different one from another, at least the ones that we saw. One was made entirely of pink sandstone. Another mostly ruins with little left of the buildings.

The people of Cambodia were very nice. They have had a horrible recent history under Pol Pot who had many killed. The guide's parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, as was nearly anyone with an education. From signs Poipet they still operate in the area, mostly robbing people these days. The movie The Killing Fields is a fictionalized account of that dark chapter.

All in all it is a fascinating place to visit. It's just so blasted far away!

Edited May 31, 2014 by Sundew

[JGirl]

Pardon, but you do realize where you are.

thanks for giving my head a shake there man lol

[ancient astronaut]

Absolutely! It has a gigantic moat around it that you would need a boat to cross, then a huge open area of lawn with a few trees and palms, and locals selling various items. Then there is a long causeway with the many headed cobra god carved in stone on either side. The temple itself is rather confusing, there are many passages and odd rooms, some of which don't make since with no points of reference or knowledge of the history. There are still large Buddhas inside and monks in orange robes decorating them, burning incense, etc. There are lots of kids running around trying to sell you hand painted pictures and postcards. The building has some dangerous areas; you have to be careful climbing to upper levels. There are huge faces of the Buddha caved into the towers on all sides.

Then there is Angkor Thom, it is much smaller but whereas they have cleared the jungle away from Angkor Wat, at Angkor Thom the jungle has pretty much been left as it was found, centuries of jungle growth have done amazing things. Strangler figs and other plants have torn huge stones loose from buildings. There is a Buddha's head that was surrounded by fig roots and lifted off the ground several feet and it stares at you from the roots. There are dozens of other temples in the area, and they are quite different one from another, at least the ones that we saw. One was made entirely of pink sandstone. Another mostly ruins with little left of the buildings.

The people of Cambodia were very nice. They have had a horrible recent history under Pol Pot who had many killed. The guide's parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, as was nearly anyone with an education. From signs Poipet they still operate in the area, mostly robbing people these days. The movie The Killing Fields is a fictionalized account of that dark chapter.

All in all it is a fascinating place to visit. It's just so blasted far away!

WOW!! I bet that was a trip of a lifetime!!! I am fascinated by history, ( I digest everything I can) and would love to go there one day. Yeah, those people suffered at the hands of a tyrant, it's a shame that so many had to lose their lives before that megalomaniac was removed from power. It's also a shame that he committed suicide and avoided true justice at the hands of his countrymen.