(Breuckmann: Meersburg, Germany) -- About 150 years ago, archaeologists in Cambodia made a spectacular discovery: the temple ruins of Angkor Wat. The temple was built during the 12th century by the ancient people of the Khmer under the reign of King Suryavarman II, but was deserted by its inhabitants at the beginning of the 15th century. Since 1992, this biggest temple complex in the world has been declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The role and function of the temple complex has been a mystery for researchers and scientists alike for a long time. In cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) at the University of Heidelberg, French archaeologists have now solved this historical mystery. Having captured and reconstructed different chapels and statues of the temple complex by means of 3D digitization and measurement technology, they were able to conclude that the temples were built to serve as burial sites for the king and his subjects.

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