A Jungle Clue Revealed
Beneath Cambodia’s Phnom Kulen plateau, a French archaeologist’s GPS buzzed near a change in forest vegetation. Moments later, he and his team sank into a long-lost man-made reservoir, untouched for over 1,000 years. What they’d found wasn’t just water—it was part of a forgotten city.
Clues in Stone and Laser
Long suspected to exist through ancient inscriptions, Mahendraparvata had been glimpsed in the 1930s but was lost again for decades. In 2012, Jean-Baptiste Chevance and Damian Evans used Lidar laser technology from helicopters to map the jungle. The results were stunning: an entire city emerged in digital relief, complete with roads, canals, temples, and dams.
The Mountain that Hid a Capital
Built by Jayavarman II in the early 9th century, Mahendraparvata featured complex engineering and sacred architecture. Its water system rivaled that of later Angkor. But deforestation and unsustainable farming led to its abandonment centuries before Angkor’s decline.
A Civilization in Layers
Today, the rediscovery continues through Lidar, excavation, and analysis. The temples remain, but wooden homes are long gone. The mystery of how ordinary people lived in the first Khmer capital is only beginning to unfold, one scan at a time.
Beneath Cambodia’s Phnom Kulen plateau, a French archaeologist’s GPS buzzed near unusual jungle vegetation.
Moments later, he and his team sank into a man-made reservoir untouched for over 1,000 years.
What they found wasn’t just water—it was a lost city long forgotten…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/HJZWl5fNHU
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 16, 2025