New LiDAR data from the Mekong Delta has revealed a vast, previously unknown network of canals and reservoirs dating to the pre-Angkorian Funan period (1st to 6th centuries CE). This advanced hydraulic infrastructure suggests that early Southeast Asian civilizations were managing water on an industrial scale long before the rise of the Khmer Empire at Angkor.
The survey shows that the canals were designed not only for irrigation but also as a primary transport network for trade goods. This discovery reshapes our understanding of the economic foundations of early urban centers in the region and their resilience to seasonal monsoon flooding.