The discovery of a hundred never-before-seen paintings of deities, animals and musical instruments on the walls of Cambodia's Angkor Wat excited archaeologists worldwide when details came out in a journal last month. The paintings, which cannot be seen by the naked eye, speak of a time when the Unesco World Heritage site underwent a transformation from a Hindu temple to a Buddhist one under 16th century leader King Ang Chan. The man behind what experts call a "significant discovery" is a Singaporean: 35-year-old Noel Hidalgo Tan, who stumbled upon the markings in 2010 while volunteering at an excavation project at the 12th century site. He was wandering around the temple during his lunch break when he spotted patches of faint red pigment in the chambers of the temple's uppermost tier. He took photos of the spots as they looked similar to the prehistoric markings he had seen in Southeast Asian caves - his main area of research as a final year PhD student at the Australian National University (ANU). But he did not know he was on to something special. "It's a site that thousands of people pass by every day and hundreds of researchers have worked on. I didn't think it was something new and unexplored," he said. Comprising 900-year-old towers, a large moat and bas-relief carvings of Hindu gods, Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious monuments in the world and features on Cambodia's national flag. It made waves in the archaeology community and Tan's findings have been featured in international publications such as Time, Smithsonian and the Daily Mail. The paper details the hundred newly discovered paintings and another hundred markings which Tan documented. He grouped these paintings into five themes. The paper notes that the paintings comprise a mixture of graffiti by pilgrims and visitors from the 16th century to the recent past and commissioned work by King Ang Chan and his successors. The graffiti reflects everyday life and depicts, for instance, buildings and livestock such as horses. The commissioned drawings, distinguished by their schematic and elaborate nature, reflect a time when the temple was converted from a Hindu one to a Buddhist one. They include drawings of Buddhist stupas and Buddha meditating. Experts, such as archaeologist Damian Evans of the University of Sydney, say the findings show there is still a lot to be learnt at historic sites which welcome millions of visitors every year. Summary: Long-lost paintings have been discovered on the walls of Cambodia's ancient Angkor Wat temple. The ancient paintings date back almost 500 years and depict deities, animals, boats and the temple itself, giving historians a new understanding of life in a relatively unknown period of Cambodia's history. Tags: The hidden graffiti of Angkor Wat: Nasa technology reveals more than 200 hidden paintings of gods and elephants on temples. Hidden Paintings Revealed at Ancient Temple of Angkor Wat. Nasa technology reveals hidden graffiti of Angkor Wat. The Ancient Hidden Graffiti of Angkor Wat. The hidden graffiti of Angkor Wat: Nasa technology. Nasa technology reveals hidden graffiti of Angkor Wat. Enhanced photos reveal hidden paintings at Angkor Wat. Finding the lost art of Angkor Wat: Paintings hidden for 500 years. 500-Year-Old Wall Paintings Found in Angkor Wat. Over 200 Paintings Discovered in Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Digital Technique Reveals Angkor Wat's Hidden Paintings. NASA's Technology Helps Reveal the Secrets of Angkor Wat. Hidden Paintings Unveiled at Angkor Wat Temple. Breaking News, Latest News, ABC, NBC, BBC, CNN, NDTV, Headlines Times, Now Discovery, Todays News, Upcoming News, USA Today, Latest USA News, NY News, New York Breaking News, Todays Headlines, World News, Latest World News, World Breaking News, Africa Latest News, Africa Breaking News, Fox News, Fox News Channel (TV Network), BBC News, Telegraph, DailyMail, BrisbaneTimes, Guardian, New Zealand Herald, Australian, MSCNBC

• published: 16 Jun 2014
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