Archaeologists using radar imagery have shown that an ancient Cambodian settlement centered on the celebrated temple of Angkor Wat was far more extensive than previously thought, a study released Monday said. The medieval settlement surrounding Angkor, the one-time capital of the illustrious Khmer empire which flourished between the ninth and 14th centuries, covered a 3,000 square kilometer area (1,158 square miles).The urban complex was at least three times larger than archaeologists had previously suspected and easily the largest pre-industrial urbanarea of its kind, eclipsing comparable developments such as Tikal a Classic Maya "city" in Guatemala. Archaeologists have been trying to map the boundaries of the sprawling agricultural environs of Angkor in Siem Reap province since the 1950s, but the ancient remains have been subsumed by modern residential and agricultural developments, complicating the task.So in 2000, a group of archaeologists from Australia, France and Cambodia who were working on the project turned to the US space agency NASA for help. The agency obliged, providing radar images of the terrain that distinguished the contours of the landscape under the surface of the earth, identifying the location of roads, canals and ponds surrounding temples.
When the
researchers combined the data with aerial photography and ground
surveys,they were able to identify several thousand ponds and 74
long-lost temples.
The researchers concluded
the complex irrigation network that provided the basis for the
settlement's rice agricultural extended 20-25 kilometers out from
Angkor city, to the north and south to the border of Lake Tonle Sap.
The roads and canals, the
defining features of the area, demonstrated that the urban settlement
extended far beyond the walls of Angkor -- a World Heritage site home
to Angkor Wat and other renowned temples.
The settlement could have
supported a population of up to half a million people, although there
were signs that some of the terrain was sparsely populated, said Damian
Evans, a graduate student in the archaeology department at Sydney
University and author of the paper.
The study also yielded
clues to support thetheo.......
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Ancient human skull found in China
The mystery of the Chinese pyramids
Inside the Emperor’s underground palace
China finds secret tomb chamber
Mystery coffins opened in 2,500-year-old tomb
Japan man kept dead mother in a backpack
Korean man marries a pillow
Snake and scorpion wine on sale
Malaysian home plagued by ghosts
