This is a close up taken of the Buddha faces in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
I like the texture in the image. More than that, I was stunned as to how the statues were constructed.
Unlike many of the Buddhas I saw in China which were carved out in situ from a big piece of rock, the statues here were assembled from blocks of rock stacked together.
This begs two questions. For one, how to control the carving so that the profiles and details match with the adjoining blocks and that when assembled together give the 3D they want.
Secondly, how did transport, lift and stack the heavy blocks together?
While we were there, we were just bewildered!
retireediary 
good gosh! Mindboggling to say the least.
You have said it very well – mindboggling!
Angkor Wat amazing place! The seven wonderful of the world! 🙂
Glad that you like it. Regards, Michael
Magic place ! Marcela ! 🙂 🙂
Glad that you like it. Regards, Michael
I’ll be there in 3 days, woo hoo! Can’t wait to see what you’ve seen.
Safe travels and enjoy your trip!
Through the years, the feeling still comes through. Quite beautiful, thanks for posting.
Glad that it reminds you of the place. Regards, Michael
It is amazing! And beautiful. Just watched a show about how they believe the Stonehedge might’ve been put together— Ancients were brilliant!
The ancients were more intellectual and powerful than what we may have thought!
I can’t figure any of this out. Baffling. Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Rusha, thanks for the continued perusal and comment. Have a nice day!
Wouldn’t it be great to have a time machine?
Or maybe if those Buddhas can talk?!
I am speechless. I can’t imagine how they physically created this masterpiece. Hugs, Barbara
I hope somebody would come up with a logical explanation as to how so many of these Buddha faces were constructed. Regards, Michael
Oh, the places you’ve been to. Gorgeous!
Thank you 🙂 Regards, Michael
Did they have a 3D Printer hundreds of years ago? great photo.
I suppose that they have made some small prototype out of clay or whatever before deciding the shape / size of each piece!
Beautiful!
Thank you!
And I still am …!
🙂
I remember a television series about clever, modern architects, builders and archaeologists trying to discover how the ancient Mayans, Egyptians and the rest built pyramids and huge statues among other things. They never got it quite right and always ran into difficulties.
So much for modern intellects!
We are still trying to find out why those with less constructional resources can achieve things like this – but our mind set is thinking in terms of modern day technology!
Methinks that modern man overthinks
Quite possible 🙂
Reblogged this on ugiridharaprasad.
Thanks for the reblogging 🙂
Beautiful photo of these stunning faces!! I just loved Angor Wat, such a magical place
It is indeed a magical place. Thanks for the continued support 🙂
We have been visiting Gothic Cathedrals here is Spain, and feel the same way, how did they build these great monuments without the equipment and technology! you have some great photos! thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you will visit again.
I like the cathedrals and castles of Spain too. Regards, Michael
The detail of the carving is so impressive. Bewildering indeed.
Yes, indeed. Have a great weekend!
Great photo Michael. Amazing minding.
Thank you. Have a great weekend!
Good questions! Beautiful shot of the Buddhas, too! Angkor Wat is one of the places on my bucket list. We almost went there years ago, but had to skip that and visit family first.
Hope you will visit it one day. Have a great weekend!
Am hoping to travel to Cambodia later this year, thanks for the inspiration. Lovely photograph
Hope you will make it; safe travels!
Reblogged this on Kevin's Blog.
Thanks for reblogging this on 🙂
Thanks for your great posts and pictures, Michael!
Great to hear from you! Glad that you like the image 🙂
Hi Michael:
I like your questions. So, the curious mind went looking for an answer (or possible answer). in Michael Coe’s Angkor, And the Khmer Civilization, page 155, there is a section called “Architecture and the Building Trade”. Coe cited Claude Jacques who explained that most sacred structures were made of sandstone instead of timber, due to the ideology that gods are immortal , and should be honored by using stone that may last forever.
Coe also cites the transportation of these massive stone faces: The stone masons bored two holes on either end of the surface. then they drove wooden pegs into the area, tied with ropes and moved them. The stones are mortarless and are held together by friction! There were suggestions that elephants were used at that time to transport these big pieces,
There are a lot more interesting facts cited by scholars. Thanks for raising an interesting question.
Something unrelated to your questions but could be shared with your other readers on the color of these scuptures: Many people said that these stone faces resemble the face of the Angkor’s Buddhist king: Jayaverman VII.
See my post: My Cambodia Trip, Part II
http://speakingabouttravel2.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/my-cambodia-trip-part-ii-angkor-thom-and-the-bayon-the-only-angkorian-state-temple-dedicated-to-the-buddha/
Also my ebook on iBookstore: “Angkor Wat, Cambodia”
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id781377989
I also want to reblog your post if you don’t mind. It will remind me of doing some more reading, and perhaps going back one day to revisit, and writing another book on “sacred architecture”. I did collect a number of books and papers for my personal interest….just for the love of art and culture!
Alum Denise
Hi Denise,
You are welcome to reblog my post.
The blocks are likely transferred by elephants or manual labor, maybe with the help of timber logs as rollers or sledges.
The more intriguing part is having to raise them for stacking, which mean that they had to assemble a frame of some sort for raising or to construct some ramps near it which are later removed.
Given there are not a lot of lateral forces on the statutes – due to hurricanes or earth quakes, the friction between blocks should suffice.
Look forward to reading your next book!
Michael
Thank you for your explanation from an engineering angle. I do have some interests on sacred architecture, but in no way near to publishing a book on an academic base. My books are for fun and coffee table! 😉
Yes, it will be fun. Will look forward to it 🙂
Reblogged this on My Notebook and commented:
Please read this post and my previous posts on Angkor Wat, if you are interested in this subject.
Thanks for reblogging this on 🙂
Great pictures:)
Glad that you like it. Thank you!
Amazing!! Definitely going there one day!
Glad that you like it. Regards, Michael
Looks like you got the “moving” piece figured out already. As for the “carving and aligning” piece, two options:
– stack all blocks in position, *then* carve out the face from the stacked blocks currently in place, how you would a giant slab of rock.
– stack all blocks at “human height”, carve out the face, mark, disassemble, move to final position, reassemble.
Or at least that’s how I would proceed. Blocks have a “standard” size. They can just stack everything, and friction will hold everything together. So you can just “build a slab” and then carve it. And there you have your edges aligned nicely 🙂
Hi, I think the second scenario is more likely. If you look at the figures, there are some mismatches between adjacent blocks. This would not have occurred if they are stacked at the final collation and carved Insitu. Thanks very much for the comment!