Photo © by Rachel Rinaldo, 1996 rarinald@midway.uchicago.edu Topics of Interests Angkor Wat Quick Reference My Life in Cambodia KD's Creative Side Sign My Guestbook View My Guestbook Great Links 2 Cambodia CNN news Cambodia's History Beauty & Darkness: Cambodia S. Wallace Photographs AsiaTour More on Cambodia Books on Cambodia Prince N. Sihanouk Cambodian Artists Contacts in Cambodia Asian Cultural Dances

As you may know, one of the famous ruins in the world subsists in Cambodia. With its famous ancient architecture, Angkor Wat has captured the hearts of many explorers; the French was the first to discover its magnificent creation in 1861. Angkor Wat was built during the ancient Khmer Empire around the 12th century. My dad had once mentioned that the construction of Angkor Wat, along with Angkor Thom (another similar ruins), had caused many tragic deaths to the workers. He said, "During those days, there were no such thing as machineries; so, they worked long hours and everything had to be done manually. From moving the heavy rocks to carving them." I had asked him why would that cause a tragic death? He said, "If not locked and sealed, the heavy rocks and stones would tumble down and crush the workers."