In a new study published in the journal ancient Mesoamerica, University of Texas researchers have used LiDAR, or laser imaging, to reveal more information about the history of Mayan settlements than ever before.
Light sensing and range determination technology has penetrated the densely forested Mirador-Calacmul karst basin in northern Guatemala, revealing more than 1,000 settlements covering nearly 650 square miles, all connected by 110-mile roads used by the Maya people to travel to their settlements and cities. . and cultural centres. Researchers have even found channels and reservoirs that highlight areas of organization from Maya culture in the Middle and Late Preclassic period from 1000 BC to 150 AD.
The study’s co-author Carlos Morales-Aguilar, of the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Texas at Austin, meant “a first look at an area never seen before in the Western Hemisphere and integrated politically and economically.” says. live science. “We can now see the entire landscape of the Maya region.”
According to the research, the density of Pre-Classical Maya sites connected by embankments creates a “network of implicit social, political and economic interactions”:
“The monumental architecture, harmonious architectural formats, specific territorial boundaries, water management/harvesting structures, and 177 kilometers (110 mi) elevated Preclassic embankments suggest labor investments that challenge the organizational capabilities of smaller states and potentially reflect management strategies in the Preclassic era.”
The authors of the study said that live scienceFor the Mayans, the region provided a combination of ideal living conditions for construction and also offered agricultural plains. Researchers believe that the discovery of such a large mass of Mayan civilization shows how related and interconnected this culture was.
“The distribution of settlements, architectural continuity, chronological contemporaneity, and volumetric considerations of sites are evidence of early centralized administrative and socioeconomic strategies in a given geographic region,” the study says.
Source: Port Altele
