LiDAR reveals Angkor Wat as center of massive pre-industrial metropolis. Angkor Wat complex covers more than 400 acres, three times the area of Vatican City Constructed from approximately 10 million individual stone blocks weighing up to 1.5 tons each Built between 1113-1150 CE by Khmer King Suryavarman II as Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu
Built from 10 million stone blocks by Suryavarman II between 1113-1150 CE, Angkor Wat was long thought to be isolated. But 2012 LiDAR scanning by Damian Evans revealed a 600-square-mile urban sprawl, the largest pre-industrial settlement ever found, home to nearly 1 million people and a vast water management network. 🗺️🏯
Key Facts
- Angkor Wat complex covers more than 400 acres, three times the area of Vatican City
- Constructed from approximately 10 million individual stone blocks weighing up to 1.5 tons each
- Built between 1113-1150 CE by Khmer King Suryavarman II as Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu
- Henri Mouhot visited site in 1860 and described its grandeur in detailed notes and drawings
- 2012 LiDAR scanning by Damian Evans and Roland Fletcher revealed urban area spanning more than 600 square miles
- The discovered urban area is comparable in size to modern-day Los Angeles, the largest pre-industrial settlement in human history
- Population of nearly 1 million is estimated to have lived in the greater Angkor area
- Massive water management system managed water from three rivers and a lake across entire urban area
- System included canals more than 10 miles long, dikes spanning hundreds of miles, and reservoirs up to 5 miles long
- LiDAR also revealed a 5,000 ft long rectilinear spiral structure of unknown purpose beneath the complex
Related site: Angkor Wat — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Lost Hindu Civilization They Don't Want You To Know About by Universe Inside You