Lasers revealed 5 ancient civilizations that were hiding in plain sight

Paola Rosa-Aquino Jan 1, 2023, 10:30 AM



LiDAR captured the ruins of a civilization in the Brazilian Amazon. Ecossistema Dakila

State-of-the-art laser technology is transforming archaeology by creating 3D renderings of ruins.

In recent years, archaeologists have turned to lasers in order to unearth ancient civilizations that were previously invisible.

A laser technology known as LiDAR — short for light detection and ranging — uses planes to beam thousands of laser pulses from the sky at the ground below, penetrating through thick, deep forest canopy. That provides researchers with three-dimensional maps underneath the vegetation, revealing human-built structures.

From a Mayan city to complex villages deep in the Brazilian Amazon, here are five previously unknown civilizations that were discovered through state-of-the-art LiDAR technology.

A hidden 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern Guatemala



Researchers found a 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern Guatemala using LiDAR. Hansen et al.

Using laser pulses, researchers detected a 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern Guatemala with nearly 1,000 archaeological sites.

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https://www.businessinsider.com/ancient-civilizations-that-were-hiding-in-plain-sight-2023-1