Buried in the Cambodian jungle lie the lost remains of the great medieval city of Angkor, once the capital of one of the world's greatest civilisations.

 

Today, only the great stone temples like Angkor Wat survive. But Angkor was once a teeming metropolis, full of life - the biggest city on Earth.

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Now, a team of archaeologists are using a revolutionary technology called lidar to reveal the true scale and splendour of this abandoned megacity.

 

Deep in the jungle, they have discovered a sophisticated network of roads and canals - the forgotten world of Angkor's greatest ever king, Jayavarman VII, a leader still revered in Cambodia centuries later.

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This new laser technology has completely transformed archaeology in Angkor.  By unlocking the secrets of how this vast city flourished, the team are shedding new light on the dramatic events leading to its fall. 

 

Their groundbreaking new work explains why the world's greatest medieval metropolis was abandoned to the jungle.