Climate Change Ended Angkor - Report

The Age ^ | 3-14-2007

[blam]

Climate change ended Angkor - report

Was Angkor Wat abandoned because of climate change?

March 14, 2007

Climate change was one of the key factors in the abandonment of Cambodia's ancient city of Angkor, Australian archaeologists said today.

The centuries-old city, home to more than 700,000 people and capital of the Khmer empire from about 900AD, was mysteriously abandoned about 500 years ago.

It has long been believed the Khmers deserted the city after a Thai army ransacked it, but University of Sydney archaeologists working the site say a water crisis was the real reason it was left to crumble.

"It now appears the city was abandoned during the transition from the medieval warm period to the little ice age," Associate Professor of Archaeology Roland Fletcher said in a statement released by the university.

Professor Fletcher said that to sustain a population of 750,000 the Khmers had a meticulously organised water management system.

But blockages found in two large structures that controlled the water system in central Angkor suggested the water management network had begun to breakdown late in the city's history.

Professor Fletcher said the discoveries complemented previous field work which had led his team to conclude the city was abandoned when new monsoon patterns, brought about by climate change, had made the site unsustainable.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[capt. norm]

Wait 'til I tell my friends.

[Izzy Dunne]

Climate change was why the sane people left Washington, I guess.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"But blockages found in two large structures that controlled the water system in central Angkor suggested the water management network had begun to breakdown late in the city's history."

Good thing we have carbon based plumbing fixtures to prevent this from happening here.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"But blockages found in two large structures that controlled the water system in central Angkor suggested the water management network had begun to breakdown late in the city's history."

Good thing we have carbon based plumbing fixtures to prevent this from happening here.

[Mikey_1962]

And all this time I thought it was Alat that caused the fall of the great city, or was it was the killer bees...

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off

Click pn POGW graphic for full GW rundown

Ping me if you find one I've missed.

---

Historical interest

[Argus]

Drat those Khmer SUVs.

[GQuagmire]

Allow me..............BUSH'S FAULT!

[M203M4]

Only one conclusion can be drawn by this:

Our technological devolution will require even more effort. Put the socialism warp drive to 110%.

[John Valentine]

Your post was the one I was looking for. It is as I suspected.

[hinckley buzzard]

It has long been believed the Khmers deserted the city after a Thai army ransacked it

Blockages in the water system would be consistent with this. The barbarians who sacked Rome succeeded by first disrupting the aquaducts, depriving the city of water. I figure the Thais were probably at least as smart as the Goths or whoever.

There may have been climate change(there was a climate change in the American Southwest leading the cliffdwellers and Anasazi to pick up and leave about the same time), but I fail to see the connection between climate change and the "blockages" in the "intricate water system."

[blam]

"It now appears the city was abandoned during the transition from the medieval warm period to the little ice age." "

I find it interesting how we see most things through the prism of our cultural background. For example: Who can tell me what was happening in China during the (540AD) Dark Ages...btw, it was a worldwide event...what was happening in Peru? Etc.

[CedarDave]

The interesting thing is that if this happened today, we would have the tools to mitigate the changes and adapt. Unlike Al Gore's hysteria, global climate change is to be met headon by modifying our infrastructure, not abandoning our lifestyle. And if the change can not be economically modified (desertfication for example), then the people have to move as nomadic tribes have done historically over the centuries.

[JimSEA]

city was abandoned during the transition from the medieval warm period to the little ice age

Perhaps more telling was a string of weak rulers following a very narcissistic ruler, the transition to Buddhism, and the rise of the Thai with their invasions of the Khmer territories.

[BIGLOOK]

Large cities and their populations overtaxed the arable lands nearby. You'd think that the surrounding flood plain area would be revived continuously by effluent from the Mekong river or sustained by commerce from outlying areas and it probably did very well for a long time, long enough to create the magnificent city and its economic base. Not every year was a good year for production of goods necessary to sustain the population and if it wasn't a good year in the city it probably wasn't a good year in the outlying areas that traded in the city too. Trade fell off and people left. Those who remained behind were weakened by the decreasing number of supernumeraries for production and defense and the city declined.

The last inhabitants have been monkeys and archaeologists.

[expatpat]

Excellent point -- a seige in which water is denied to the city is much more effective than one where there is water but no food. These professors are so dumb.....

[Fraxinus]

I remember a reference (Jared Diamond?) that China built the Grand canal (rebuilding completed in 4th century according to Wikipedia) in part to more efficiently transport food from southern China, I think that a change in Dynasty was also indicated.