In 2007, a team of archaeologists used satellite imagery, aircraft radar, and ground surveys to create the first complete map of the ancient Cambodian city of Angkor. The findings showed that the city not only includes famous temples but is also the world's largest preindustrial settlement complex, stretching to about 1,000 square kilometers in present-day north-western Cambodia. According to NASA's Earth Observatory, radar mosaics spanning 2,848 square kilometers, constructed between 2000 and 2007, were superimposed on older archaeological maps and recent field surveys. The findings gave researchers a far clearer picture of how the city extended well beyond its temple complexes. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that some of the most important historical discoveries can arise from re-examining old ground with new tools.
A city that hid behind its own temples
