The Rice That Fed Angkor: Empire of the Granary

For centuries, historians wondered how Angkor supported a population estimated at a million people within a 1,000-square-kilometer urban complex. The answer lies in a vast, engineered rice landscape. This episode follows the rice cycle from the Tonlé Sap's annual flood pulse through the intricate canal networks and baray reservoirs that allowed three harvests a year. We explore the floating rice varieties that grew with the rising water, the role of royal decrees recorded on stone stelae like K. 254 and K. 263, and the corvée labor system that kept the canals clear. New LiDAR data from the Greater Angkor Project reveals a sprawling grid of rice fields, homestead ponds, and feeder channels that extended far beyond the temple walls. We also touch on the collapse — how the 14th-century shift to a more variable monsoon may have strained the system beyond its capacity. Featuring the work of archaeologist Damian Evans and the medieval Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, who described Khmer rice cultivation in his 1296 account. #AngkorWat #KhmerEmpire #RiceAgriculture #TonleSap #GreaterAngkorProject #LiDAR #ZhouDaguan #SuryavarmanII #K254 #K263 #FloatingRice #Baray #CanalSystem #Drought #Collapse #DamianEvans #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo