Lidar reveals lost city beneath Angkor Wat forest

A new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science has revealed that the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia was part of the world's largest city a thousand years ago, with a population of about one million. The city included extensive gardens, dams, and irrigation systems, and 22 square kilometers of ancient urban fabric remain buried under forests—twice the area of the current Angkor complex. The research, funded by the European Research Council and led by Australian archaeologist Damian Evans, used Lidar laser technology from a helicopter to scan 1,900 square kilometers of forest. Evans stated, 'Before we had only discovered a part: now we have a complete picture, and we are facing a site of enormous dimensions, comparable to those of Phnom Penh, the current Cambodian capital.' The team previously found a network of urban centers connected to the ancient Khmer empire capital, which reached its peak in the 12th century, and a city, Mahendraparvata, buried under nearby Mount Kulen.