Angkor Wat’s Lost Cities
Lidar scanning technology revealed a sprawling urban network hidden beneath the Cambodian jungle in 2016, far larger than the famous temple complex. The scans showed grid-like streets, canals, and earthen mounds covering an area of 1,400 square kilometers from the 12th-century Khmer Empire. This discovery suggests a population approaching one million people, vastly exceeding previous estimates. The hidden cities like Mahendraparvata provide clues about why Angkor eventually declined through overexpansion or drought.
