A high-resolution LiDAR survey over Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains has identified the ruins of a massive 9th-century brick temple complex. Preliminary ground surveys suggest the site belongs to the Simha (Lion) Style of the early Khmer Empire, featuring guardian lion statues carved from red sandstone. The complex is remarkably well-preserved due to its extreme isolation, with several prasats (towers) standing nearly to their original height.
Archaeologists believe this temple served as a key administrative and religious hub for the highland trade routes that connected the coast to the Angkorian capital. The presence of such a significant monument in the rugged Cardamom range indicates that the reach of the early Khmer kings was far more extensive than previously documented, encompassing challenging terrains once thought to be peripheral.