The Stegosaurus of Ta Prohm

Hidden among the sprawling roots and ruins of Ta Prohm , one of Angkor’s most atmospheric temples, lies a carving that has sparked fascination, debate, and a good deal of sensationalism. The temple, commissioned in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, is famous for its massive silk-cotton trees entwined with stone walls. Yet for many modern visitors, one small relief steals the spotlight: a curious animal motif that some claim depicts a dinosaur. The carving in question is found on a doorway pilaster in Gopura III, east of the central sanctuary. It is one of a vertical series of medallions, each encircling an animal. Within one of these roundels appears a squat, four-legged creature in profile with a row of lobe-like forms on its arched back. At first glance, these lobes resemble the distinctive plates of a Stegosaurus, a dinosaur that lived some 150 million years ago. A dinosaur carving on a 12th century temple. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Ta Prohm was founded in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery. Originally known as Rajavihara (“royal monastery”), it was one of the largest temples in the Angkor complex, dedicated to the king’s mother. Inscriptions suggest that it once housed more than 12,000 people, including monks, priests, and dancers, with an additional 80,000 inhabitants living in the surrounding villages that supported the temple’s operations. After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, the temple of Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries.