PO2 Nat Geo Khmer Empire

Published by National Geographic, this large-format poster, ” The Khmer Empire “, chronicles the complete historical arc of a civilization that dominated mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th centuries. It captures the empire’s meteoric rise to a golden age under visionaries like King Suryavarman II and King Jayavarman VII, illustrating how masterworks of hydraulic engineering, such as the massive West Baray, harnessed monsoon cycles to sustain a sprawling medieval megacity. Bridging classical history with modern science, the artifact equally illuminates its eventual decline, drawing on cutting-edge LiDAR mapping and tree-ring data to reveal how overextended infrastructure, geopolitical shifts, and severe multi-decade mega-droughts ultimately forced the capital’s 15th-century abandonment.