The forest was full of cities we couldn’t see

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LiDAR scanning is transforming our understanding of the ancient Maya by revealing thousands of hidden structures beneath the forest canopy. In areas like Tikal and Caracol, laser data has uncovered extensive networks of pyramids, roads, canals, and residential compounds, expanding estimates of Maya population and urban sprawl. The 2016 PACUNAM survey alone mapped over 2000 square kilometers and identified over 60,000 structures. While much of the region remains unscanned, the technology is already reshaping what counts as a “site” and how we interpret the scale of Maya civilization. In this Howtown video, we explain how mapping methods have evolved over time, allowing archaeologists to see and analyze ancient cities like Tikal. Even after a century of study, there was still so much to be uncovered by airborne LiDAR. It’s an incredible example of how advances in physics and engineering can supercharge other fields in ways that couldn’t have been anticipated.

Chapters:
:00 a game-changer
:49 welcome to the Maya forest
3:45 Tikal through time
7:00 lidar on airplanes
11:44 minds blown
14:49 our takeaways
16:10 what's next?
17:18 my secret message