Post-Angkor: The 15th Century Abandonment and What Came Next

After the fall of Angkor in 1431, the Khmer Empire didn't just vanish. This episode traces the pivotal reign of Ponhea Yat (1405–1467), the last king of Angkor, who moved the capital south to Phnom Penh after the Siamese sack. We explore the forgotten century of Chaktomuk, the Four-Faced River city, and the gradual shift from stone temples to wooden palaces. Lucas and Luna discuss the legend of the 'lost city,' the real reasons for abandonment—water management failure, trade route shifts, and Theravada Buddhist reforms—and how the jungle swallowed Angkor until Henri Mouhot's 1860 'rediscovery.' Along the way, we touch on the Ayutthaya Kingdom's rise, the role of Chinese Ming dynasty records, and what modern archaeology tells us about the so-called 'collapse.' A fresh angle on what happened when the gods left the temple. #PonheaYat #KhmerEmpire #AngkorWat #PhnomPenh #Chaktomuk #AyutthayaKingdom #HenriMouhot #TheravadaBuddhism #SoutheastAsianHistory #PostAngkorPeriod #15thCentury #MingDynasty #ZhouDaguan #LiDARArchaeology #WaterManagement #CambodiaHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo