Tulane researchers help discover vast network of Mayan cities in the Guatemalan jungle
Tulane researchers help discover vast network of Mayan cities in the Guatemalan jungle
Updated 3:35 PM; Posted 3:34 PM
LiDAR laser technology yielded a remarkable discovery in Guatemala's forest: ancient
cities with more than 60,000 structures. Two Tulane researchers, Marcello A. Canuto
and Francisco Estrada-Belli, are part of the project, which will be featured on the National
Geographic Channel. (Image courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas and Marcello A. Canuto)
By Maria Clark
NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
A team of Tulane University archaeologists and an international group of researchers have uncovered a network of thousands of ancient Mayan structures previously hidden for centuries under the thick canopy of the northern Guatemalan jungle.
Using a technology called LiDAR (light detection and range technology) the team which includes Marcello A. Canuto, the director of Tulane University's Middle American Research Institute, and Francisco Estrada-Belli, a research assistant professor and director of the Holmul Archaeological Project, has uncovered more than 60,000 ancient structures covering 1,305 square miles.
The technology uses sensors to pierce through the thick forest canopy to create high-resolution maps that reveal man-made structures hidden under thick vegetation.
For example, the sensors revealed a 90-foot-tall pyramid once thought to be a hill at Tikal, one of the most thoroughly investigated of all Mayan cities.
More:
http://www.nola.com/science/index.ssf/2018/02/tulane_researchers_help_discov.html
Anthropology:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/12293615
Tikal LIDAR images:
https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrEx66Qo4taHAwANJyJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBsZ29xY3ZzBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEc2xrA2J1dHRvbg--;_ylc=X1MDOTYwNjI4NTcEX3IDMgRhY3RuA2NsawRiY2sDZWFlcjdmOWNnbDI5ZyUyNmIlM0Q0JTI2ZCUzRGZFVE9PSzFyWUgzS3VfNWJGaWk4THF3a19jX3JYc19ya1E2azM1dGQ0N2NwM1EtLSUyNnMlM0RkayUyNmklM0RCeGNKNG50WDZnYk1pU21IRU5wUgRjc3JjcHZpZANnM09FbURFd0xqSGxPMmQ2V1FxSk1BbG1Nall3TUFBQUFBQTRrSk9sBGZyA3NmcARmcjIDc2EtZ3AEZ3ByaWQDeWhpU2hnR0RTN3VNLnFnRHRadW5GQQRtdGVzdGlkA251bGwEbl9zdWdnAzEEb3JpZ2luA2ltYWdlcy5zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzExBHF1ZXJ5A1Rpa2FsIExJREFSBHRfc3RtcAMxNTE5MTAxNDgyBHZ0ZXN0aWQDbnVsbA--?gprid=yhiShgGDS7uM.qgDtZunFA&pvid=g3OEmDEwLjHlO2d6WQqJMAlmMjYwMAAAAAA4kJOl&p=Tikal+LIDAR&fr=sfp&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&ei=UTF-8&n=60&x=wrt#id=69&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsimg.bbc.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F41119000%2Fjpg%2F_41119650_051214_mural2body.jpg&action=close
= new reply since forum marked as read
Tikal (or Tik’al, according to the more current orthography) is one of the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. It is located in the El Petén department of Guatemala. It was used as a filming location for Yavin 4 in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
The shot where a Rebel oversees the Millennium Falcon landing on Yavin was taken on top of a building known as Temple IV looking east where Temples I, II and III can be seen on film.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tikal
===========
