Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala

Title

Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala

Creator(s)

Canuto, Marcello

Estrada-Belli, Francesco

Garrison, Thomas G.

Houston, Stephen D.

Acuña, Mary Jane

Kováč, Milan

Marken, Damien

Nondédéo, Pilippe

Auld-Thomas, Luke

Castanet, Cyril

Chatelain, David

Chiriboga, Carlos R.

Drápela, Tomáš

Lieskovský, Tibor

Tokovinine, Alexandre

Velasquez, Antolin

Fernández-Díaz, Juan Carlos

Shrestha, Ramesh

Date

2018

Is Part Of

Science

Volume

361

Issue

6409

Language

eng

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau0137

Zotero BiDiAr

https://www.zotero.org/groups/5293298/bidiar/items/GDFX94JF/item-list

Abstract

Lidar (a type of airborne 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. Canuto et al. present lidar data covering more than 2000 square kilometers of lowland Guatemala, which encompasses ancient settlements of the Classic Maya civilization (see the Perspective by Ford and Horn). The data yielded population estimates, measures of agricultural intensification, and evidence of investment in landscape-transforming infrastructure. The findings indicate that this Lowland Maya society was a regionally interconnected network of densely populated and defended cities, which were sustained by an array of agricultural practices that optimized land productivity and the interactions between rural and urban communities.

cited by

Novel airborne LiDAR-derived digital terrain models in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy): potential for archaeological prospection of medieval castles in the Vena del Gesso Romagnola and Valmarecchia