Stunning new maps covering over 2,000 square kilometers of northern Guatemala have revealed the site of an ancient Maya mega-city hidden in the dense tropical forest. Researchers uncovered more than 61,000 ancient structures at the site using LiDAR technology, which relies on laser pulses to map out the topography. Evidence from the exhaustive survey supports earlier suspicions that upwards of 11 million people lived in the Maya Lowlands from the year 650 to 800 CE. Stunning new maps covering over 2,000 square kilometers of northern Guatemala have revealed the site of an ancient Maya megacity hidden in the dense tropical forest. The researchers have now published the results of what they say is the largest LiDAR survey to date, months after first revealing their remarkable discovery.

In July 2016, a group of archaeologists commissioned a small plane--along with special pilots--to fly over the thick jungle canopy in northern Guatemala, near the border with Mexico. Cruising well above the trees, the pilots combed the area, pointing three lasers at the ground that fired 300,000 pulses of light per second. Over 12 days, the team used the lasers to create one of the largest-scale maps of Maya cities built between 1000 BC to 1500 AD. Although archaeologists have surveyed slivers of these metropolitan ruins in the past, the new maps showcase entire cities for the first time, putting the Maya's formidable pyramids, city roads, and farming terraces in context. This view offers a wider perspective to archaeologists, who have historically been stuck analyzing individual structures at a time.

Newly released images have revealed a stunning look at the site of an ancient Mayan'megalopolis' in Guatemala, which now lies buried beneath the jungle foliage. Researchers announced the groundbreaking discovery of more than 60,000 previously unknown structures just last week, including pyramids, palaces, and causeways, that once made up a massive pre-Columbian civilization. To uncover the megalopolis, the team used laser technology to look beneath the forest canopy in northern Peten - an area close to already-known Mayan cities. And, the lasers revealed the'breathtaking' remains of a sprawling'megalopolis' that was far more complex than most specialists had ever believed. Newly released images have revealed a stunning look at the site of an ancient Mayan'megalopolis' in Guatemala, which now lies buried beneath the jungle foliage.

More than 60,000 previously unknown Mayan structures - including pyramids, palaces and causeways - have been revealed under jungle foliage in Guatemala in what has been hailed as a'major breakthrough'. Researchers used laser technology to look beneath the forest canopy in northern Peten - an area close to already-known Mayan cities. The lasers revealed the'breathtaking' remains of a sprawling pre-Columbian'megalopolis' that was far more complex than most specialists had ever believed. The discovery suggests that Central America supported a civilization that was, at its peak 1,500 years ago, more advanced than ancient Greek and Chinese cultures. The landscape may have been home to up to 15 million individuals and the abundance of defensive walls, ramparts and fortresses suggests that warfare was rife throughout their existence and not just at the end.