4 minute lesson
How Cambodia’s Ancient Temples Can Help Us Plan for the Future
What could a city that flourished over 600 years ago teach us about our future?
Of the world’s many ancient wonders, the temples at Angkor in Cambodia are some of the most beautiful, intricate, and little known. They were once the places of worship for the citizens of the largest preindustrial city in the world.
These magnificent temples are monuments to the Khmer Empire. Its capital, Angkor, spanned 400 square miles and was once home to 750,000 residents. At its peak, Angkor was a marvel of hydro-engineering. Its waterways were a key to its success as a city. Their engineering allowed the residents to survive the cycle of monsoons and drought that characterized the region.
So, what happened to this magnificent city? Here’s Vox, to give us some context.
Why It Matters
What lessons can we learn from past civilizations?
The ancient city of Angkor is a great example of how much nature influences the turns of history. Finding ways to adapt as our resources change is critical to the success of any community large or small.
Angkor is just one example of the many ways history tells stories that we can still learn from today. Whether we are studying changing patterns of water for major cities or trying to develop new technologies to help the communities of tomorrow thrive, looking at where we’ve been before is a critical part of our progress.
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