The teams research, detailing these findings, waspublishedtoday inAntiquity.
Lidar surveys are very useful in Mesoamerican archaeology, whereswaths of jungle can quickly swallow up entire cities.
However, lidar is expensive.
A lidar image of previously unknown Maya structures in Mexico.Image: Auld-Thomas et al., Antiquity 2024
We didnt just find rural areas and smaller settlements.
That slightly predates the Classic period of the Maya, which stretched from 250 CE to 900 CE.
The government never knew about it; the scientific community never knew about it, Auld-Thomas said.
A lidar image of previously unknown Maya structures in Mexico. Image: Auld-Thomas et al., Antiquity 2024
According to theAntiquityrelease, future research will focus on fieldwork at the sites.
Given that there are nearly 7,000 structures in the area, that research could take some time.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely.
