How climatic changes toppled the ancient megacity of Angkor 

Angkor Wat [image credit: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen @ Wikipedia]

What might the ‘abrupt climatic changes’ described here be due to?

The city may have been overstressed by climatic changes, leading to its rapid abandonment, says Discover magazine.

Angkor, one of the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, was a thriving metropolis at the center of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century. Then its inhabitants suddenly left town.

Now, researchers find abrupt climatic changes and vulnerable infrastructure led to the city’s demise.

It’s a cautionary tale for modern cities, many of which are already feeling the stress of climate change.

Monumental Megacity

Once a vast, urban hub, Angkor was the capitol city of a kingdom that stretched from the tip of the Indochinese Peninsula to modern Yunnan Province in China and from Vietnam to the Bay of Bengal. By the 13th century, the city itself covered at least 100 square kilometers.

Over 600 years, ruling kings added to the metropolis, building majestic monuments including Angkor Wat, a Buddhist temple that is a central tourist attraction near the modern-day city of Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Historical accounts say Angkor was a bustling megacity into the late 13th century. But, the next available record from a few hundred years later indicates the city was abandoned, the jungle encroaching on its temples.

Experts debate what led to the city’s collapse. Some believe the Siamese overthrew Angkor; others say religious conversions and civil wars upset the social balance. Yet, recent evidence from remote mapping of the region suggested the city’s infrastructure played a role.

During its reign, Angkor established an extensive system of waterways. The complex network of canals, moats and reservoirs to capture, store and distribute surface water likely provided water for agriculture and controlled flooding from seasonal rains.

But in the late 14th century, the area experienced summer monsoons so intense they damaged the water management network.

Continued here.