Imaging the Waters of Angkor: A Method for Semi‐Automated Pond Extraction from LiDAR Data

A groundbreaking study reveals that medieval Angkor, home to successive capitals of the Khmer Empire, featured over 3,000 small-scale household or community ponds within its urban core. This discovery, derived from semi-automated analysis of LiDAR data, challenges the perception of Angkor's hydraulic infrastructure as solely large-scale and state-level, instead highlighting a dense network of smaller water management systems. These findings, validated against historical accounts by Zhou Daguan in the 13th century, offer new insights into the demography and social organization of pre-industrial urban landscapes.

Hanus, K., & Evans, D. (2015). Imaging the Waters of Angkor: A Method for Semi‐Automated Pond Extraction from LiDAR Data. Archaeological Prospection, 23(2), 87–94. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1530