ANCIENT MAYA CITY

LASER and drone technology have been instrumental in the discovery of an enormous Mayan ‘megalopolis’ in Central America recently. Researchers have identified the ruins of more than 60,000 houses, palaces, elevated highways, and other human-made features that have been hidden for centuries under the jungles in the Peten region of northern Guatemala. Remote sensing technology known as LiDAR, short for “Light Detection And Ranging”, was used. The data, which took over a year to analyse, has revealed architectural marvels and a complex urban network which is estimated to have been home to around 10 million people.

Computerised image provided by Guatemala’s Maya Heritage and Nature Foundation, PACUNAM, shows a representation of the Maya archaeological site at Tikal created using LiDAR.

A three-dimensional representation of Mayan ruins buried under the forests. Image: National Geographic/The Lost Maya City.