New research casts doubt on cause of Angkor's collapse
Researchers have long debated the causes of Angkor鈥檚 demise in the 15th听century.听 Historical explanations have emphasised the role of aggressive neighbouring states, and the abandonment of Angkor in 1431 A.D. has been portrayed as a catastrophic demographic collapse.
Our study suggests the inhabitants didn鈥檛 leave Angkor because the infrastructure failed, rather the infrastructure failed because the urban elite had already left.
However, new scientific evidence shows that the intensity of land use within the economic and administrative centre of the city declined gradually more than 100 years before the supposed collapse, implying a very different end to the city.
from the University of Sydney鈥檚 School of Geosciences examined sediment drill-cores extracted from the moat surrounding Angkor Thom, the last and largest of Angkor鈥檚 walled citadels.
鈥淐hanges in land use leave tell-tale traces in sedimentary deposits that can be measured. Measuring these traces in drill-cores allows us to reconstruct what people were doing in the landscape over long periods of time,鈥� Associate Professor Penny said.
Location map of Angkor. Credit: PNAS.听
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In a new study published in the prestigious , Associate Professor Penny and co-authors show that evidence for forest disturbance, soil erosion and burning all declined in the first decades of the 14th century, suggesting a sustained decline in land-use in the commercial and administrative heart of the ancient city. By the end of the 14th century, the moat was covered in floating swamp vegetation, which indicates that it was no longer being maintained.
The findings suggest Angkor鈥檚 demise was not a catastrophic collapse caused by the Ayutthayan invasion or by infrastructural failure, but a gradual demographic shift by the urban elite.
鈥淥ur study suggests the inhabitants didn鈥檛 leave Angkor because the infrastructure failed, rather the infrastructure failed (or was not maintained or repaired) because the urban elite had already left,鈥� said Associate Professor Penny.
The study was co-authored with from the University of Sydney鈥檚 School of Geosciences, Dr Damian Evans from and from Flinders University.听听
The research was funded by the Australian Research Council and is part of the .听