Architect, archaeologist and lecturer at the Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO, French School of the Far East), Christophe Pottier worked at Angkor for 18 years beginning in 1992, notably on restoration programs and the mapping of this gigantic site. Now head of the EFEO center in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he is still involved in research projects at Angkor.
In addition to having been occupied in prehistoric times, the Angkor site has been used for at least 2,500 to 3,000 years: In 2004 and 2005, a Bronze Age necropolis was found and, some 20 years ago, I also excavated an Iron Age necropolis dating back some 2,000 years. The first Brahmanic and Buddhist settlements in the region were established in the fifth century and, very quickly, a first capital, which did not last, was established at Angkor in the sixth century. So there are traces to show that Angkor was already a capital site from the sixth century onward, and remained so almost until the 16th century. As a result, we have around a thousand years of human, urban occupation associated with monumental elements.
What has really changed is our vision of the extent of Angkor, its complexity and the nature of its archaeological features. Mapping it, studying hydraulic networks and, in the last 10 years or so, LiDAR surveys [Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging, an aircraft-based remote sensing technique that reveals man-made structures by stripping the ground of its vegetation] have enabled Angkorian archaeology to go beyond the study of monuments and temples, to which it had remained confined since its birth in the 19th century.
We've been able to show that the urban fabric of Angkor extends far beyond its enclosures. We've established concentrations of basins, embankments, roads and canals occupying 30 to 40 square kilometers. In addition, our mapping covers more than 1,000 square kilometers and shows a considerable number of temples, not necessarily monumental: much more modest village temples, which were not built of perennial materials but rather of wood. The only remains are a stone pedestal and some brick paving. But 99% of temples are just that: small sanctuaries spread over a very wide area, with a density of nearly one sanctuary per square kilometer.
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