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LIDAR Mapping in Northern Cambodia Locates Previously Unknown 10th-Century 'Mountain Temple' in Preah Vihear Province

📅 April 8, 2026 📰 Khmer Times Heritage
LIDAR Mapping in Northern Cambodia Locates Previously Unknown 10th-Century 'Mountain Temple' in Preah Vihear Province

A new aerial survey using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has identified a hidden temple complex buried under dense jungle canopy near the border of Thailand. The structure follows the 'temple-mountain' architectural style typical of the Khmer Empire during the reign of Jayavarman IV, featuring a five-tiered sandstone pyramid.

The discovery includes a series of brick enclosures and a large ritual reservoir (baray) that had been completely obscured by forest growth for centuries. This finding suggests that the urban footprint and administrative reach of the Angkorian civilization extended significantly further north than previously recorded by regional scholars.

Original source: Khmer Times Heritage