This mysterious city of the jungle was left in a few years?

Koh Ker is located about 80 kilometers from one of the most famous temples in the world, Angkor, Cambodia.

These are the remains of the Khmer Empire, a dense empire in East Asia that encircled Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of China and Vietnam at its peak.

Between 800 and 1400, it was a powerful kingdom and the capital, Angkor, grew between 800 and 1400. The crazy temple complex of Angkor Wat was started in the 13th century.

But the Khmer Empire was an absolute monarchy and single kings therefore had the power to do what they wanted. It also meant changing the capital, even though all the power was in Angkor.

This must be done by King Jayavarman IV around 920, according to Han, so that Koh Ker is the capital, or the capital, with Angkor. It will also have few temples installed in a relatively short time.

This new capital did not last long. A few decades later, the new king Rajendravarman decided that the capital should return to where it really was. According to the history of the Khmer Empire, Koh Ker was completely abandoned at that time.

But the reality is often more complicated than it does.

On the map below, you can see where the rest of the city is.

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Still inhabited?

A research group studied the ancient myth of Koh Ker. This myth has some support, namely that the great temples are built in an architectural style dating from the 900s, according to the article in the magazine PLOS One.

They have been drilling drill cores from the earth's layers in the city to look for traces of human activity over the centuries, such as carbonized particles after foci and use of sweat.

By dating with the different teams, they can get an idea of ​​the intense activity of the city.

Read also: Shortcut to the building of Angkor Wat found

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People and kings

Unsurprisingly, this picture is quite different from that of the Khmer kings. The researchers think they see obvious traces of housing that increased in the late 800s and lasted until the 1400s, with varying intensities.

There were probably fewer people there after the move from the royal house, but the researchers think the city was definitely used. In the mid-1400s, there is less and less activity.

But the city has probably been inhabited for nearly a thousand years. The discovery of different types of ceramics shows that people lived here in the 5th century.

Researchers say this goes against the old concept of Khmer royal houses, where large volumes followed after their move.

Read also: Discover 200 hidden murals in Angkor Wat

The case was originally published on research.no