Ancient Sprawl?

While some suggest that sprawl growth is a relatively new phenomenon, this article argues just the opposite--that its been hurting cities as old as ancient times:

Cambodia's long-lost temple complex of Angkor is the world's largest known preindustrial settlement, reveals a new radar study that found 74 new temples and more than a thousand manmade ponds at the site.

But urban sprawl and its associated environmental devastation may have led to the collapse of the kingdom, which includes the renowned temple of Angkor Wat, the study suggests.