Revealed: Cambodia's vast medieval cities hidden beneath the jungle

UK Guardian ^ | June 10, 2016 | Lara Dunston

[C19fan]

Archaeologists in Cambodia have found multiple, previously undocumented medieval cities not far from the ancient temple city of Angkor Wat, the Guardian can reveal, in groundbreaking discoveries that promise to upend key assumptions about south-east Asia’s history.

The Australian archaeologist Dr Damian Evans, whose findings will be published in the Journal of Archaeological Science on Monday, will announce that cutting-edge airborne laser scanning technology has revealed multiple cities between 900 and 1,400 years old beneath the tropical forest floor, some of which rival the size of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

[C19fan]

The Khmer Empire were master manipulators of water. One interesting aspect of the Khmers were they were Hindus.

[jsanders2001]

Makes you wonder why they abandoned those great cities?

[smokingfrog]

Some kind of pandemic most likely. Disease can spread quickly in places where population is dense, and they had no methods or knowledge to stop it.

[M1903A1]

I’ve heard it said that those elements of Khmer history—the canals and water control—were actually blown far out of proportion by the French in the colonial years, and that this false grasp of a “lost glory” was the reason why the Khmer Rouge were so obsessed with building dams, canals and other waterways...even though they had no clue what they were doing and killed anybody they could find who did.

[Redcitizen]

Mowing the grass got to be too much.

[Redcitizen]

GGG ping.

[TEXOKIE]

ROFL! Conditions for grass are perfect in our area this season, and we are doing nothing but MOW THE GRASS!! I think you nailed it! ;-D

[Jack Hammer]

Fascinating stuff.

Wonder to what extent the Khmer were in touch with India...

[trisham]

Interesting.

[Redcitizen]

Yeah that nice lush vegetation does have a price. Here in the desert southwest, I killed all my backyard weeds with herbicide and now pluck the few diehard weeds that spring up once a week. In your area, I bet you could bale your grass and sell it to a farm.

[TEXOKIE]

LOL! maybe that could be true, but our city doesn’t allow us to let it get high enough to bale!

We are not complaining, really, because we are enjoying the lovely weather!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Redcitizen.

The Lost City of Cambodia

[bert]

during the period in question, there were great communities in America that are now gone. Cahokia on the Mississippi river was larger than any European city of it’s day

The period from 900 to 1300 experienced a global blooming of mankind.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mahendraparvata/index

[colorado tanker]

After Angkor Wat was built the Khmers gradually converted to Buddhism. The consensus seems to be that the capital was later moved south because Angkor was too vulnerable to attack by their enemies, the Thais and Chams.

Unfortunately, except for the great temples, the Khmer built with wood, even the royal palace at Angkor. We can only turn to radar to see the monumental size of the cities, but little else is left.

FWIW, Angkor is one of the most spectacular sites I have ever visited. Definitely worth a journey.

[SunkenCiv]

I think the stone structures were erected (as was done in Venice) on logs pounded down into the soft ground. And the first four burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

These are interesting, and I think they’re different from what I’d seen. Can’t post the pictures due to source (LiveScience).

Mysterious Earthen Mounds Discovered in Ancient Cambodian Cities
By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | June 14, 2016 03:35pm ET
http://www.livescience.com/55068-mysterious-earthen-mounds-discovered-cambodia.html