The Maya civilization has always fascinated historians, geologists and scientists. This was the civilization of Mexico, which started in 1500 BC. Apart from Mexico, this civilization also developed in Guatemala, Honduras and El-Salvador. Gradually this civilization ended. Now geologists have discovered a massive Maya site in northern Guatemala, covering some 650 square miles (1,700 square kilometers). It is estimated that the Maya civilization existed at this site from 1000 BC to 250 BC.
This Maya site was also discovered in an interesting fashion. The site was discovered by geologists during an aerial survey, when they used LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) from an aircraft. In this process, laser light is used and an aerial picture is prepared from the reflected light. This technique gives good results in the densely forested areas of Guatemala. Laser lights reach their object through the dense forests.
one of live science Report According to the data received by the geologists, more than a thousand settlements were identified in the area, which were connected to each other in an area of 160 km. it Study Published in the Mesoamerica Journal. The data suggests that hundreds of years ago this site in Guatemala was home to a settlement that was linked politically and economically. Such a place has never been discovered before in this area.
Carlos Morales-Aguilar, involved in the study, told Live Science that now we can see the entire landscape of the Maya region in this region of Guatemala. Geologists also wanted to understand what was the thing that encouraged the Maya civilization to settle here. In their study, scientists have come to the conclusion that there was a good balance of agricultural land in the area. Meaning, the land here was neither too marshy nor too dry.
Researchers hope the lidar technology will help them explore parts of Guatemala that have remained a mystery for centuries. Lidar technology has proven to be very useful in the areas geologists are exploring in Guatemala. Due to the dense forest, the visibility here is very low. With lidar technology, scientists are able to scan the area very well.
