Posted on 01/04/2012 3:43:34 PM PST by Captain Beyond
Mary Beth Day, University of Cambridge
Bayon temple, constructed by Angkorian King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The faces may be representations of Buddha, the bodhisattva Lokesvara, Jayavarman VII, or a combination.
The ancient city of Angkor the most famous monument of which is the breathtaking ruined temple of Angkor Wat might have collapsed due to valiant but ultimately failed efforts to battle drought, scientists find.
The great city of Angkor in Cambodia, first established in the ninth century, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, the major player in southeast Asia for nearly five centuries. It stretched over more than 385 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), making it the most extensive urban complex of the preindustrial world. In comparison, Philadelphia covers 135 square miles (350 sq. km), while Phoenix sprawls across more than 500 square miles (1,300 sq. km), not including the huge suburbs.
Suggested causes for the fall of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th to early 15th centuries have included war and land overexploitation. However, recent evidence suggests that prolonged droughts might have been linked to the decline of Angkor for instance, tree rings from Vietnam suggest the region experienced long spans of drought interspersed with unusually heavy rainfall.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/04/drought-led-to-demise-ancient-city-angkor/?test=faces#ixzz1iXG9rBBa
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Well I guess the ancient citizens of Angkor must have had a huge carbon foot print. Global warming must have got them. If only the Khmer Empire had Algore back then.
Rhino died today
It was all those gas-guzzling Khmer SUV’s destroying the ozone layer that did it. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
SUV’s + water buffaloes passing wind.
Didn't they all use to ride around on elephants?
Now there's some mean greenhouse gasses for you!
F’in Bush!
“It is an awesome place to visit, if the opportunity ever presents itself.”
Also considering the stone for the city was quarried ~60 miles away in Thailand.
(my first visit was in 1968 shortly after Jacqueline Kennedy’s visit made it popular).
Thanks for posting. Fascinating/informative/educational.
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GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks Captain Beyond. |
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Wow. The study of history makes me very happy to live in modern times.
Angkor died from Global Warming???
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