Ancient and modern - Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh is spreading rapidly/Reuters
An ancient city – which experts and researchers have spent years searching for – has been uncovered deep in the jungle in northwestern Cambodia. Meet the city of Mahendraparvata, a catchy name meaning indra (king of the gods). The city was a prosperous metropolis well over 1,000 years ago and was considered the first capital of the Khmer Empire.
The Khmer Empire was founded in 802 AD and became a Hindu-Buddhist empire located in Southeast Asia and at one point controlled most of Southeast Asia and parts of southern China. When King Javerman II was established, he declared himself Chakarartin ("King of the World"/"King of Kings") in Phnom Kulen. The empire ceased to exist in the 15th century with the destruction of Angkor, the capital of the empire, then the largest urban center in the world.
Efforts to locate the remains of the mysterious city failed for decades, with scientists not even able to agree on where to look — until an expedition that ended operations in 2019 uncovered a wealth of information about the lost city — which precedes the capital Angkor.
Laser technology unveils Khmer Empire's oldest city/GettyImages
Analysis of the discovery in Phnom Kulen National Park found that Mahenderpravata was founded in AD 802 and was the base of the ancient Khmer Empire. A key feature of the discovery was the use of advanced laser scanning techniques of lidar (distance measurement technology by illuminating the target with a laser beam, and measuring the time it takes for the light beam to return to the receiver) to pinpoint the location of the city, which lies 40km north of the largest religious structure built in the ancient world, Angkor.
The city has been hidden for more than 1,000 years/GettyImages
Discussing the astonishing find, which included more than two dozen previously undocumented temples, archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Chavans, of the Foundation for Archaeology and Development in the UK, wrote in an article: "The mountainous region of Phnom Kulen has so far received very little attention. It is almost completely missing from archaeological maps, except for a scattering of points indicating the remains of several brick temples."
He added: "The Khmer Empire changed the landscape, designing features on a very large scale - pools, water reservoirs, canals, roads, temples, rice fields and more. However, the dense forest that often covers the areas of interest is a major difficulty in investigating them."
More on the subject
The Secret Empire Revealed: Cambodia's Hidden Golden Cities
Erwin Feller with Pegasus
Can't believe the city was inhabited for a long time / GettyImages
Jayavarman II was crowned Prince of Mahenderparavata and founded the empire/GettyImages
Using laser technology, they could see a huge urban network that stretched 50 square kilometers across the jungle. "Many other elements of the anthropogenic landscape connect to the wider network than this, indicating the development of an overall urban plan," the team explained, "Dams, reservoirs, walls and walls of temple complexes, neighborhoods and even the Royal Palace contrast or overlap with the surrounding linear features."
Despite its size, the city was not inhabited for long, as its inhabitants migrated to areas that were easier to live in. Damien Evans, of the French Far Eastern School, told New Scientist: "The city may not have lasted for centuries, maybe even decades, but the cultural and religious significance of the place continues to this day."
- More on the subject:
- Cambodia