The city was uncovered by an archaeological expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Chevance and Damian Evans in 2012 with the aid of airborne laser scanning technology called LIDAR.

A key feature of the expedition was its use of helicopter-mounted Lidar technology to scan the Phnom Kulen area and then map the city layout.

[2][3] The ground phase of the expedition traversed goat tracks and watery bogs, the team having got to their starting point by motorbike.

In addition to the temples, their research showed the existence of an elaborate grid-like network of roads, dykes and ponds forming the city.

Dr. Evans also noted that expedition imagery shows that the area became deforested, and he theorises that the impact of this, and water management issues, led to the civilisation's decline.