Medieval History
The ancient city of Angkor ? the most famous monument of which is the breathtaking ruined temple of Angkor Wat ? might have collapsed due to valiant but ultimately failed efforts to battle drought, scientists find.
The great city of Angkor in Cambodia, first established in the ninth century, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, the major player in southeast Asia for nearly five centuries. It stretched over more than 385 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), making it the most extensive urban complex of the preindustrial world. In comparison, Philadelphia covers 135 square miles (350 sq. km), while Phoenix sprawls across more than 500 square miles (1,300 sq. km), not including the huge suburbs.
Suggested causes for the fall of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th to early 15th centuries have included war and land overexploitation. However, recent evidence suggests that prolonged droughts might have been linked to the decline of Angkor ? for instance, tree rings from Vietnam suggest the region experienced long spans of drought interspersed with unusually heavy rainfall.
Click here to read this article from The Christian Science Monitor
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Medieval History
Ancient City of Angkor may have been ruined by drought
The ancient city of Angkor ? the most famous monument of which is the breathtaking ruined temple of Angkor Wat ? might have collapsed due to valiant but ultimately failed efforts to battle drought, scientists find.
The great city of Angkor in Cambodia, first established in the ninth century, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, the major player in southeast Asia for nearly five centuries. It stretched over more than 385 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), making it the most extensive urban complex of the preindustrial world. In comparison, Philadelphia covers 135 square miles (350 sq. km), while Phoenix sprawls across more than 500 square miles (1,300 sq. km), not including the huge suburbs.
Suggested causes for the fall of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th to early 15th centuries have included war and land overexploitation. However, recent evidence suggests that prolonged droughts might have been linked to the decline of Angkor ? for instance, tree rings from Vietnam suggest the region experienced long spans of drought interspersed with unusually heavy rainfall.
Click here to read this article from The Christian Science Monitor
- Three Medieval Archaeological Discoveries: Newfoundland, Egypt And Cambodia
Here are three reports of medieval discoveries from around the world... NewfoundlandWe know that the Vikings tried to create a settlement at L'anse aux Meadows on Newfoundland around the year 1000. A report by Owen Jarus at LiveScience adds that these...
- Satellites Spy Thousands Of Ancient Human Settlements
Ancient humans have changed the landscape around their settlements in such ways that even today archaeologists can distinguish between "lived in" spots and those never occupied by humans. Now, two scientists have figured out a more efficient way of locating...
- Sudan: Remains Of Ancient Palace Discovered
Hidden beneath an ancient palace in what is now central Sudan, archaeologists have discovered the oldest building in the city of Meroë, a structure that also may have housed royalty. The capital of a vast empire that flourished around 2,000 years ago,...
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Castle bones may belong to knight Scots fought 'in bright yellow war shirts not Braveheart kilts 'Urban sprawl' responsible for collapse of ancient Cambodian city of Angkor Who Killed the Men of England? Secrets of Oystermouth to be unearthed...
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Bronze lamp, Angkor Period (12th century), Cambodia. ...