Watch Jungle Atlantis

Jungle Atlantis is a compelling two-part BBC 2 documentary series aired in 2014 that skillfully brings into the limelight the magnificence of the lost city of Angkor, one of mankind’s most astounding yet esoteric architectural masterpieces. The show is a testament to the fascinating fusion between historical research, archeology, and modern technology that is bound to keep viewers riveted to their screens.

Set in Cambodia’s dense jungle, Jungle Atlantis beckons viewers into the hushed secrets and unsolved mysteries of the world's largest pre-industrial city. The documentary series highlights Angkor, the jewel of the Khmer Empire, home to the breathtaking Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument.

The narrative of Jungle Atlantis commences by elucidating the grandeur of Angkor, taking us back into time, tracing the roots of the Khmer empire that had thrived from 802 to 1431 AD. Evoking a sense of awe and reverence in viewers, the series reveals how the city had a surge in population, making it the most extensive urban complexity until the 19th century. The extent of this city was so vast that it dwarfed the contemporaneous cities of the known world, including London and Berlin.

Revealing the meticulous life led by the people of Angkor, the series uses map creation technology, known as LiDAR, which utilizes laser scanning of the earth’s surface from planes. This groundbreaking technology peels back the layers of jungle growth to expose extraordinary insights into the functional workings of the city: from waterways, temples, to hidden cities.

Adding depth to the narrative, the docuseries uses aerial photography to bring forth impressive visuals that show a bird’s-eye view of the city, precisely how it must have looked to its ingenious creators. These reveal an intricate fabric of canals, moats, and reservoirs, testifying to the extent of the hydraulic city and underlining the Khmer's mastery over water.

Through the duration of the series, the veil over Khmer history lifts gradually. It delves into the reasons behind the rise of Angkor, the details of its construction, the socio-political environment that fueled the city’s development, and ultimately, what led to its downfall. Integrating anthropological research, the show supplements the narrative by showcasing the study of skeletal remains unearthed from the Angkorian graves. These findings, along with historical theories explored in the series, provide clues about Angkor's residents' lifestyles, their diet, hierarchy, disease, and health standards all of which contribute to the greater understanding of the city's eventual decline.

While portraying Angkor's awe-inspiring cityscape with all its architectural marvels, the series also connects viewers with the spirit of the Khmer people. It provides an insight into the builders of this great city – their beliefs, the spiritual significance of the temples, and Angkor Wat's amazing astronomic significance. Using inscriptions, bas-reliefs, and the mythological symbolism in architecture, the city's cultural, religious, and historic facets are intricately unraveled.

The theme of Jungle Atlantis is not just to explore, but also to understand, not merely to observe, but to connect. The series is a treasure for anyone who nurtures a fascination for historical or archaeological exploration, bringing the past alive and transporting viewers into a forgotten era. It is not just a documentary - it is an expedition where science meets history, where speculations get substituted by findings, and where the legendary city of Angkor breathes life again amidst the ruins and dense Cambodian jungles.

Jungle Atlantis is much more than an excavation of the lost city; it unearths the rich heritage of a civilization and opens new portals of understanding into a mysterious yet significant stratum of our history. It is truly an Atlantis emerging from the heart of the jungle. So, immerse yourself in this voyage of rediscovery, and let Jungle Atlantis guide you through the ebb and flow of a grand civilization's rise and fall presented in a captivating storytelling format.