Khmer Army

East outer gallery, south wing
Bayon, Angkor Thom

The second enclosure of the Bayon ("outer gallery") is carved with charming reliefs of military and everyday life. Here we see the Khmer army on the march with, below, a line of soldiers that includes a small figure beating a gong. The soldiers are sometimes incorrectly identified as "prisoners," but ropes coiled around their chests are actually part of their apparel.

The reliefs of the outer gallery date from the time of Jayavarman VII. An inner gallery (first enclosure) also carries reliefs, from the time of Jayavarman VIII.