Using advanced LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, researchers have mapped a previously unknown 12th-century Khmer temple complex hidden beneath thick forest canopy in Southern Laos. Located several kilometers from the famous Vat Phou site, this new complex consists of three large brick towers and a series of barays (reservoirs) that suggest a large urban settlement once existed in the area. The architectural style matches the Angkorian 'Bayon' period, indicating a northern expansion of the Khmer Empire during the reign of Jayavarman VII.
The LiDAR scans have also identified a processional causeway flanked by stone markers that leads directly to a nearby mountain spring. Archaeologists believe this temple was a regional center for water-blessing rituals, a common practice in Khmer statecraft. Ground surveys are currently being planned to search for inscriptions that might confirm the site's ancient name and its specific religious function within the empire.