The mysterious disappearance of the Khmer kingdom of Angkor, known as the Cultural revealed. A set of researchers found the answer to the collapse of the empire that had ruled for centuries in Southeast Asia region.
Currently, the Cultural Angkor fragmented into several countries, like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. What remains of the culture today is just a giant bengunan, roads, canals, channels, and sufficient water reservoir that serves the needs of society at that time.
Physorg page report, the results of research conducted by a group of scientists indicate Angkor Culture vanished after a drought. Researchers led by Mary Beth Day, an earth scientist at Cambridge University, also published their findings in the report Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Khmeer kingdom itself was established in the 9th century until the 15th century and centers on the City of Angkor. Community City of Angkor hold water in abundance during the rainy season for everyday purposes such as drinking and working the land throughout the year. The system works in a very long time, but suddenly disappeared.
The reason the disappearance of the system suddenly can vary. For example war, plague that hit, disputes between communities, to changing environmental conditions. The reason it is now answered in a recent study, at least be a dominant factor in the disappearance of Culture Angkor, namely environmental factors.
To find the problem of water shortages due to environmental changes, the researchers took soil samples at the largest water reservoir - often called barays - the people who built Angkor. By digging as deep as six feet, the team found that the prolonged drought and - possibly - the excessive use of land for agriculture has led people here no longer able to produce food.
When studying the soil samples taken, the research team was able to see the deposit of sediment at the bottom barays been formed in a long time. The years before 1431, showing a thin layer of water that can be accommodated in barays only slightly. It also shows erratic rainfall.
Rather than hold water during the rainy season, a storm that caused damaging floods struck the land and the land that brought flooding that it accumulated barays. The disaster was followed by a period with no rain at all. The result, not much water available for drinking and farming during the dry season.
The new research does not state the fact that the drought to be the only factor of the collapse of the Khmer kingdom. Because there are other factors involved. As the war with the neighbors, the number of people who converted to Buddhism, and natural changes due to increased trade with other countries, these factors may have a role.
