In the end

Posted on August 14, 2007
Tags: Facts |

An interesting piece from the National Geographic News. Bold is my emphasis.

Sprawling Angkor Brought Down By Overpopulation, Study Suggests

Ever since the late 16th century, when Portuguese traders spied the towers of the monument poking through a dense canopy of trees, people have puzzled over the demise of the Angkor civilization. Now a new archaeological map created using jungle-penetrating radar has revealed traces of vast suburban sprawl surrounding the many temples and the walled central city of Angkor Thom. Extensive waterworks threaded through the low-density development, channeling the flow of three rivers through agricultural fields, homes, and local temples. In the end, residents of greater Angkor likely struggled with the ecological consequences of transforming the landscape.

It probably won’t be the last time this happens in this world if things continue as they do now.