Ancient, hidden cities uncovered by lasers in Cambodia's jungle
The vast cityscapes had been lost to the jungle for centuries, but that's before helicopter-mounted lasers came along.
The cities have been discovered in the vicinity of Angkor Wat, Cambodia's biggest tourist attraction.
Vast, ancient cities hidden in thick jungle have been uncovered by lasers in Cambodia.
Australian archaeologist Damian Evans unveiled the details of the temples in full at the Royal Geographic Society in London on Monday, the Guardian reported.
Found near the famous Angkor Wat temples, a United Nations' World Heritage site in the southeast Asian country, the discovery sheds new light on the massive scale of the ancient Khmer empire.
The hidden cities were identified using helicopter-mounted lasers that can penetrate thick vegetation and trees to create a map of the underlying terrain. As smaller maps came together, it became apparent to archaeologists that a complex cityscape has been lurking in the undergrowth, undiscovered for many centuries.
Multiple cities ranging from 900 to 1,400 years old were identified using the technology. Some are a similar size to Cambodia's modern-day capital Phnom Penh.