Ancient City of 'Mahendraparvata' Hidden Beneath Cambodian Jungle

[Judi Lynn]

By Yasemin Saplakoglu - Staff Writer 8 days ago



The ancient city is hidden under the thick vegetation of Phnom Kulen. (Image: © Archaeology Development Foundation)


Ancient stone inscriptions tell tales of a city called Mahendraparvata. The once-mighty metropolis was one of the first capitals of the Khmer empire, which ruled in Southeast Asia between the ninth and 15th centuries. It was long believed that the ancient city was hidden beneath thick vegetation on a Cambodian mountain, not far from the temple of Angkor Wat.

Now, thanks to an incredibly detailed map, researchers can "definitively" say that the ruins, overgrown by thick vegetation on the mountain of Phnom Kulen, are in fact from that 1,000-year-old city. The ancient city was never really lost, as Cambodians have been making religious pilgrimages to the site for hundreds of years.

"It's always been suspected that the city of Mahendraparvata that's talked about in the inscriptions was indeed somewhere up here in the mountains," said study co-author Damian Evans, a research fellow with the French School of the Far East (EFEO) in Paris. Now, "we can say for sure: Definitely, this is the place."

In a collaboration between the EFEO, the Archeology and Development Foundation in the U.K., and the APSARA National Authority (a government agency responsible for protecting the Angkor region in Cambodia), researchers combined airborne laser scanning with ground surveys and excavations to weave a narrative of the development and demise of this ancient city.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/ancient-city-mahendraparvata-mapped.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ancient 'lost city' of Khmer Empire uncovered in Cambodia

Mahendraparvata was early capital
By: Jessie Yeung, CNN
Posted: Oct 18, 2019 07:05 AM PDT



Shrouded in mystery for decades, Mahendraparvata has been dubbed the "lost city." Now, scientists say they have identified it for certain.



(CNN) - Researchers have identified the elusive ancient "lost city" of Cambodia for the first time, according to a report published Tuesday.

In a project that has spanned years, an international group of scientists used aerial laser scans and ground-based surveying to map Mahendraparvata, or the Mountain of Indra, King of the Gods.

Mahendraparvata was one of the first capitals in the Khmer Empire, which lasted from the 9th to 15th centuries AD, but much of what we know come from inscriptions recovered from other sites. Scientists theorized that the city was located on the Phnom Kulen plateau, about 48 kilometers (about 30 miles) north of Siem Reap, but it was difficult to find evidence. The plateau was remote, inaccessible, covered with vegetation, and potentially home to landmines installed by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.

Shrouded in mystery for decades, Mahendraparvata has been dubbed the "lost city." Now, scientists say they have identified it for certain.

"Here, we confirm the hypothesis, based on this accumulated body of evidence, that Mahendraparvata -- the eighth- to ninth-century AD capital of the Khmer Empire -- was located on the Phnom Kulen massif," said the report, which was published in the journal Antiquity.

More:
https://www.kesq.com/lifestyle/ancient-lost-city-of-khmer-empire-uncovered-in-cambodia/1133401863

[7wo7rees]

2. Judi Lynn -- you are the best!! So appreciate your posts!!

Always informative and you give so much time to share with us what an amazing world we have. Much love to you!!

[Judi Lynn]

3. I love looking for these articles, and couldn't stand not sharing them. Thank you, so much!

You're very, very kind, 7wo7rees.