Archeology Site of the Month - Nov. 2009

Angkor Wat

Deep in the lush jungles of Cambodia lie the ruins of Angkor Wat. The art and architecture of the temples and galleries are almost overwhelming and altogether magnificent.

Dedicated to the Hindu Deity, Vishnu, the enormous temple complex is amazingly carved in intricate bas-relief. The Hindu epic based bas-reliefs have been called the "greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving."

Satellite imagery has redefined the borders of Angkor. It is currently considered to be the world's largest single standing religious monument. It is GRAND. There are a total of 1,000 cataloged temples as of 2009.

Angkor was built in the 12the century and was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth. At 1,000 kilometers it dwarfed the 2nd largest pre-industrial city, the Mayan city of Tikal which measured over 100 kilometers.

The Angkor Khmer population was over one million between the years 900 and 1200 AD. It served as the capital city of Khmer Empire before falling into abandonment and ruin and being lost to history.

One of the coolest things about the ruins today are the way the trees have draped themselves and taken over the stone temples.

The Angkor complex is surrounded by gigantic constructed moat. There is super-high technology at work here if you look for it. The grounds are expansive and vast. The archeo-astronomical alignments may be related to the constellation Draco.

It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and receives over 500,000 visitors a year.

Ankor Temple Deity Face

The trees that took over...