A massive LiDAR scanning project over the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia has revealed a sprawling grid of residential neighborhoods and water management ponds. This discovery suggests that the urban area surrounding the temple was far more densely populated than earlier estimates indicated.
The data shows a highly organized urban layout with roads, houses, and gardens that have been hidden under forest cover for centuries. This challenges the view of Angkor as a purely ceremonial site, pointing instead to a vibrant, functioning city.