Angkor Was a City
Ahead of Its Time

By Thomas H. Maugh II,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

The ancient Khmer city of Angkor in Cambodia was the largest preindustrial metropolis in the world, with a population near 1 million and an urban sprawl that stretched over an area similar to modern-day Los Angeles, researchers reported Monday.

But that reliance on water led to the city's collapse in the 1500s as overpopulation and deforestation filled the canals with sediment, overwhelming the city's ability to maintain the system, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The hydraulic system became "not manageable, no matter how many resources were thrown at it," said archeologist Damian Evans of the University of Sydney in Australia, the lead author of the paper.

But during the six centuries that the city thrived, it was unparalleled, particularly because it was one of the very few civilizations that sprang up in a tropical setting, said archeologist Vernon L. Scarborough of the University of Cincinnati, who was not involved in the research.

But in the end, maintenance became too labor-intensive, Evans said. As trees were removed from the landscape, sediment began accumulating in the canals at a rate more rapid than it could be removed. Many dike walls collapsed, although it is not yet known when that occurred.

More on Angkor at BBC

Mummy of Tattooed Woman Discovered in El Brujo Peru

A well-preserved tattooed mummy of a young woman has been discovered deep inside a mud-brick pyramid in El Brujo Paru by archaeologists under the direction of scientist Regulo Franco.

The 1,500-year-old mummy may shed new light on the mysterious Moche culture. The incredible mix of ornamental and military artifacts has experts speculating about this woman’s identity and her role in the Moche society.

For more information you can read the full article at National Geographic.

Climate Change, Humans Endanger Historic Silk Road Stop

Sun Aug 12, 6:00 PM ET Agence France Presse

China's historic Silk Road city of Dunhuang and its archaeological treasures are under threat from the effects of climate change, human activity and mismanagement, state media reported on Sunday.

The oasis city, home to the UN World Heritage-listed Mogao Grottoes, has recently seen rivers run dry, vegetation die off, underground water levels fall sharply and sand storms increase, Xinhua news agency said.

Dunhuang was an important stop on the Silk Road, while the grottoes -- also called the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas -- house one of the world's most extensive and historic Buddhist temple complexes, stretching back more than 1,500 years.

But population pressures, haphazard development and a changing climate now "threaten the cultural relics and local scenery", Xinhua quoted an unnamed official with the national environment watchdog as saying.

The official with the State Environmental Protection Administration called for the establishment of an ecological reserve at Dunhuang.

"A national ecological reserve is urgently needed in Dunhuang to protect its civilisation and heritage that has a history of more than 1,000 years," the official was quoted as saying.

The official also blamed local administrators for failing to put in place proper planning to balance economic development with protection of the area.

The cave shrines, built between the fourth and 14th centuries A.D., house some of the world's best examples of ancient Buddhist art.