Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Previously Unknown Maya Structures Hidden in Guatemalan Jungle.

An archaeological discovery has been made from an aerial survey over northern Guatemala revealing tens of thousands of Maya structures, including pyramids, palaces, temples, fortifications, highways, houses, and farms, which had been hidden for centuries under the Guatemalan jungle. This incredible discovery indicates that the Mayas had an enormous, interconnected network of ancient cities, which may have been home to as many as 10 million people.

National Geographic revealed that the previously unknown ancient structures were found using LiDAR (“Light Detection and Ranging”) technology, which can ‘see through’ the jungle canopy to identify monuments below. The aerial scanning technique is revolutionizing the field of archaeology as it quickly reveals man-made sites, which would be near impossible to discover through ground searches due to the dense vegetation and harsh conditions of the jungles of Central and South America.