After using lasers to map the Maya Lowlands, researchers have updated their estimates of the total Maya population during the ...

New lidar research shows the Maya civilization peaked at 16 million people, revealing dense cities and vast rural networks.

It’s not just for archeological purposes." As the pair researched the structures they found on that lidar scan, they began to believe they had found a large Mayan city previously lost to history.

Mr Auld-Thomas analysed data from one such lidar project from 2013, focused on measuring and monitoring carbon in Mexico’s forests, to see what lay underneath 50 square miles of Campeche.

LiDAR has been used to detect the remains of early Mayan civilizations since 2015, when two large-scale surveys were taken of the southern half of the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin.

A Lidar image shows what archeologists in Mexico say is a newly discovered lost Mayan city, which they named Valeriana. via REUTERS Valeriana was discovered by chance thanks to Lidar, or Light ...

LiDAR data isn't perfect, and the research team notes a few caveats to their findings. One is the prevalence of rockpiles, or "chich" mounds," which do not appear to be residential structures.

LiDAR, also known as Light Detection and Ranging, uses lasers to measure the distance, shape, and orientation of 3D objects. LiDAR is becoming increasingly common, appearing in devices like the ...