Scientists uncover tens of thousands of ancient Mayan structures that could change our understanding

[Judi Lynn]

New findings uncover the mysterious lives of millions of people

Andrew Griffin @_andrew_griffin
3 hours ago

Scientists have uncovered tens of thousands of Mayan structures, potentially changing our understanding of the ancient civilisation.

The newly found evidence gives an insight into the lives of millions of people that have remained largely mysterious until today.

It was discovered using high-tech Lidar technology, which uses pulses of laser light to map land cover and topography in 3-D. That land is usually covered in dense woodland, making surveys of the area difficult.

The new research, according to the scientists behind it, gives an understanding of the area with "unprecedented scope" that "compels" a re-evaluation of our understanding of Mayan culture.

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/maya-ancient-structures-discovery-latest-economy-transport-a8558466.html

Science:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/122859741

[Judi Lynn]

1. Stunning 3D laser maps reveal the sprawling Mayan 'megalopolis' where more than 61,000 ancient struc

Stunning 3D laser maps reveal the sprawling Mayan 'megalopolis' where more than 61,000 ancient structures lay hidden beneath Guatemala's forest canopy

More than 60,000 previously unknown Mayan structures have been uncovered in Peten, Guatemala
Researchers say the abundance of defensive walls, ramparts and fortresses suggests warfare was rife
The ground-breaking research used LIDAR technology to map the area, relying on laser pulses
The researchers have now published the results of what they say is the largest lidar survey to date
By CHEYENNE MACDONALD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and PHOEBE WESTON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 17:55 EDT, 27 September 2018 | UPDATED: 22:20 EDT, 27 September 2018

Stunning new maps covering over 2,000 square kilometers of northern Guatemala have revealed the site of an ancient Maya mega-city hidden in the dense tropical forest.

Researchers uncovered more than 61,000 ancient structures at the site using LiDAR technology, which relies on laser pulses to map out the topography.

Evidence from the exhaustive survey supports earlier suspicions that upwards of 11 million people lived in the Maya Lowlands from the year 650 to 800 CE.

The experts also say the discovery shows the ancient people modified the wetlands for their agricultural needs, and even created networks of roadways to connect distant cities and towns.

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More:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6216505/Stunning-3-D-laser-maps-reveal-sprawling-Mayan-megalopolis-hidden-Guatemala.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. The Maya Civilisation Was Far More Complex Than We Thought, Major Discovery Has Revealed

"Oh wow, we totally missed that."


BEN GUARINO, THE WASHINGTON POST
28 SEP 2018

In the autumn of 1929, Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her husband Charles flew across the Yucatán Peninsula. With Charles at the controls, Anne snapped photographs of the jungles just below.

She wrote in her journal of Maya structures obscured by large humps of vegetation. A bright stone wall peeked through the leaves, "unspeakably alone and majestic and desolate - the mark of a great civilization gone."

Nearly a century later, surveyors once again took flight over the ancient Maya empire, and mapped the Guatemala forests with lasers.

The 2016 survey, whose first results were published this week in the journal Science, comprises a dozen plots covering 830 square miles, an area larger than the island of Maui. It is the largest such survey of the Maya region, ever.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/lidar-upends-long-held-theories-about-mayan-civilization

[Judi Lynn]

3. Jungle-penetrating Lidar sheds light on ancient Maya structures

Jungle-penetrating Lidar sheds light on ancient Maya structures

BY KAREN GRAHAM 6 HOURS AGO IN SCIENCE

Lidar or 3D laser scanning provides a powerful technique for three-dimensional mapping of topographic features. It is proving to be a valuable tool in archaeology, particularly where the remains of structures may be hidden beneath forest canopies.

Two Tulane researchers, Marcello A. Canuto and Francisco Estrada-Belli, were part of a team of researchers, including assistant professor of anthropology Thomas Garrison at Ithaca College and other scholars who made the discovery in the Petén forest of Guatemala, originally announced in February 2018.

The discovery in the Petén forest includes more than 60,000 structures, including isolated houses, large palaces, ceremonial centers, and pyramids. The jungle area in the northern Petén province of Guatemala is where Tikal (tee-KAL), an ancient Maya city is located.



Temple 5C-54 (the Lost World Pyramid), part of a large E-Group complex dating to the
Preclassic. Tikal, Peten, Guatemala. Restored west face.
Simon Burchell

Tikal was an important and influential city during the heyday of the Maya Empire (1000 BCE-1500 CE). Archaeologists first began exploring the Petén forest in the late 19th century, and a number of structures have been excavated, including the Plaza of Seven Temples, the Palace at the Central Acropolis and the Lost World complex.

More:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/science/jungle-penetrating-lidar-sheds-light-on-ancient-maya-structures/article/533471