Mysterious Earthen Mounds Found At Angkor Wat: Vast Ancient City Networks Revealed By Lasers

Mysterious Earthen Mounds Found At Angkor Wat: Vast Ancient City Networks Revealed By Lasers

In the jungles of Cambodia surrounding the intricately beautiful Angkor Wat, scientists have discovered an extensive network of huge medieval cities stretching out and away from the ancient temple. These networks have remained hidden for hundreds of years, forgotten by the world. But archaeologists using special laser equipment have uncovered evidence of cities around the Angkor Wat area that are far larger than had been previously thought, and within the cities lies a mysterious gridwork pattern of earthen mounds.

Live Science reported June 14 that archaeologists, who have been working the area for years, discovered numbers of earthen mounds arranged in geometric shapes (even spirals) in the multiple medieval cities hidden in the jungles of Cambodia that have been found and unearthed around the vast tourist attraction Angkor Wat since the 1990s. Scientists, using laser scanning equipment to penetrate the jungle, have been working with data taken in 2015 that encompassed over 735 square miles. That data revealed the 1,000-year-old cities that scientists have long thought existed around the important temple complex of Angkor Wat.

Apparently there's "an entire cityscape there with astonishing complexity,”

This sounds like a great little find. Obviously our ancient sites all over the world still have much more to reveal to us. This latest find just demonstrates how what was once thought as a site of mainly worship was actually the center of a much larger, sophisticated and complex location.

I suspect that many of the other locations around the world, if and when, similar tests can be carried out would reveal similar results. It seems the more we learn the more we realize that many of these sites had at one time, much larger populations than previously believed. This reminds me of the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico. If we were able to time travel and fly over either of these two sites for example most would be amazed and astonished at their true size.

As always
Stay tuned.

a reply to: SLAYER69

Scientists, using laser scanning equipment to penetrate the jungle, have been working with data taken in 2015 that encompassed over 735 square miles. That data revealed the 1,000-year-old cities that scientists have long thought existed around the important temple complex of Angkor Wat.

That initial data over hundreds of square miles was probably by satellite thermography and or radar.. They are finding city ruins under jungle canopy in South American locations, too.

I say city because as it turns out the recently discovered population centers in ancient times were much more extensive than previously thought.

Why is that?

satellite image

Haven't read a letter in your post. But the title and the OP are promising a good read.
S&F probably


ETA: read it now, great find, makes me want to go there even more.

a reply to: SLAYER69

There is a interview audio on CBC I had listened to the other day on the subject ..kind of kool ..

Airborne laser technology has uncovered a network of roadways and canals, illustrating a bustling ancient city linking Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex. The discovery was announced late Monday in a peer-reviewed paper released early by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The laser scanning revealed a previously undocumented formally planned urban landscape integrating the temples. The Angkor temple complex, Cambodia's top tourist destination and one of Asia's most famous landmarks, was constructed in the 12th century during the mighty Khmer empire. Angkor Wat is a point of deep pride for Cambodians, appearing on the national flag, and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeologists had long suspected that the city of Mahendraparvata lay hidden beneath a canopy of dense vegetation atop Phnom Kulen mountain in Siem Reap province. But the airborne lasers produced the first detailed map of a vast cityscape, including highways and previously undiscovered temples. "No one had ever mapped the city in any kind of detail before, and so it was a real revelation to see the city revealed in such clarity," University of Sydney archaeologist Damian Evans, the study's lead author, said by phone from Cambodia. "It's really remarkable to see these traces of human activity still inscribed into the forest floor many, many centuries after the city ceased to function and was overgrown."

www.cbc.ca...

I've read a few times over the past couple of decades articles about how there were once vast agricultural areas now reclaimed by the jungle that could have potentially at one time, supported huge populations. Not sure if they were located in Africa or South America possibly both?

If I had more time at the moment I'd see if I could dig them up. Maybe later tonight.

Good find Slayer! I am always interested in new discoveries!

originally posted by: SLAYER69
I've read a few times over the past couple of decades articles about how there were once vast agricultural areas now reclaimed by the jungle that could have potentially at one time, supported huge populations. Not sure if they were located in Africa or South America possibly both?

If I had more time at the moment I'd see if I could dig them up. Maybe later tonight.

sounds Amazonian