PSA: The new LiDAR scans at Caracol changed everything about that site

I was looking at old excavation maps from the 80s compared to the 2023 LiDAR data. The old maps showed maybe 50 structures in the main plaza area. The new scans revealed over 200 previously unknown platforms and roads. The jungle canopy had hidden the full scale for decades. Anyone else seen a tech update completely rewrite a site's story?

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_kelly916d ago

Imagine what we're missing at sites that got bulldozed for farms first.

lindag3316d ago

Yeah that "bulldozed for farms" line from @betty_kelly9 hits hard. Thing is, a lot of that land was cleared way before bulldozers were even a thing, mostly with hand tools and fire. The real loss happened over centuries, not in one modern push.

victorh8116d ago

How many stories got plowed under before we even knew to look?