--- title: Over 200 Paintings Discovered in Angkor Wat Cambodian Temple Complex description: Sceintists found ancient graffiti in a monument thousands of tourists pass through every day canonical: https://time.com/139251/hidden-paintings-cambodian-temple/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-29T23:51:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:08:20.481Z article:section: Science og:title: Over 200 Paintings Discovered in Angkor Wat Cambodian Temple Complex og:description: Sceintists found ancient graffiti in a monument thousands of tourists pass through every day og:url: https://time.com/139251/hidden-paintings-cambodian-temple/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd94e1afb5db60c76/69869567e53aba4ebc4d2edf/angkor-wat-hidden-painting-cropped.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Angkor Wat Hidden Painting og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Over 200 Paintings Discovered in Angkor Wat Cambodian Temple Complex twitter:description: Sceintists found ancient graffiti in a monument thousands of tourists pass through every day twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd94e1afb5db60c76/69869567e53aba4ebc4d2edf/angkor-wat-hidden-painting-cropped.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Over 200 Paintings Discovered in Cambodia's Angkor Wat  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent May 29, 2014 11:51 PM UTC  Antiquity Publications  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent May 29, 2014 11:51 PM UTC Hundreds of paintings [were discovered](http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/088/ant0880549.htm) in the 12th century Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat hiding in plain sight. Though thousands of people pass through the religious monument every day, nobody had ever noticed the ancient graffiti on the faded walls. Researcher [Noel Hidalgo Tan](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-200-hidden-paintings-were-discovered-walls-angkor-wat-180951593/) first saw the red and black pigment on the walls of the monument when he visited and decided to investigate, Smithsonian Magazine reports. After scientists took pictures using an intense flash, they then used a [tool from NASA](http://news.sciencemag.org/archaeology/2014/05/invisible-graffiti-angkor-wat) to digitally enhance the colors of the images. They found more than 200 ancient images of animals and boats and people, among other things, according to _Antiquity_, a quarterly archeology review. Scientists hypothesize that the images are actually graffiti left long ago by visitors when the temple was abandoned in 1431, American Association for the Advancement of Science reported. Archaeologists hope to gain a new perspective on Cambodia’s history through the lost images. ### 7 Hidden Paintings Found at Angkor Wat  Left: plain view; right: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  Top: plain view; bottom: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  Top: plain view; bottom: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  Top: plain view; bottom: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  Top: plain view; bottom: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  Top: plain view; bottom: after decorrelation stretch analysis digital enhancement Noel Hidalgo Tan—Antiquity Publications  A painting photographed with a strong flash, in plain view. 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