NASA’s Earth Observatory program has been capturing images used to map Mayan ruins since 2002, but new developments in the fields of imaging and LiDAR have sharply increased the pace of discovery in recent years.
Researchers at Texas Tech University and the University of Texas, led by Brett Huok and Amy Thompson, have covered new ground in the search for Mayan ruins, revealing massive new areas of habitation and uncovering the mechanisms of water distribution, social organization, and human movement in the region.
These discoveries have already led to a disruption in the modern understanding of ancient Mayan culture.
