Airborne LiDAR, archaeology, and the ancient Maya landscape at Caracol, Belize

Chase, Arlen F.; Chase, Diane Z.; Weishampel, John F.; Drake, Jason B.; Shrestha, Ramesh; Slatton, K. Clint; Awe, Jaime J.; Carter, William E.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.09.018

Cited by 409 publications

(281 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The map, built from 4.28 billion individual x, y, z point measurements, showed in sharp detail monumental architecture, roads, residences, and agricultural terraces, in perfect agreement with evidence collected by explorers on foot (3)(4)(5). The LiDAR data also turned up causeways and highways not previously known to link the center complex to outlying sites and it revealed that the Caracol settlement covered at least 180 square kilometers (44,500 acres).…”

Section: Lasers In the Rainforestsupporting

confidence: 75%

Mapping the lost megalopolis

Ornes¹

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Section: Lasers In the Rainforestsupporting

confidence: 75%

Mapping the lost megalopolis

Ornes¹

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…However the application of the technique gained significant momentum for prospection in regions covered with dense vegetation, including the multi-layer tropical and sub-tropical rain forests of South and Central America [11,12], as well as South East Asia [13][14][15]. The ability to map landscapes hidden beneath dense vegetation is resulting in a revolution in archaeology arguably comparable to that caused by the introduction of radiocarbon dating some decades ago [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

et al. 2014

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Abstract:In this paper we provide a description of airborne mapping LiDAR, also known as airborne laser scanning (ALS), technology and its workflow from mission planning to final data product generation, with a specific emphasis on archaeological research. ALS observations are highly customizable, and can be tailored to meet specific research needs. Thus it is important for an archaeologist to fully understand the options available during planning, collection and data product generation before commissioning an ALS survey, to ensure the intended research questions can be answered with the resultant data products. Also this knowledge is of great use for the researcher trying to understand the quality and limitations of existing datasets collected for other purposes. Throughout the paper we use examples from archeological ALS projects to illustrate the key concepts of importance for the archaeology researcher.

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“…The data revealed the full extent of this archaeological site and demonstrated how it was structured, and how the ancient Maya radically modified their landscape in order to create a sustainable urban environment (Chase et al, 2011). Undoubtedly, this is a very useful tool for the study of Maya landscape and settlement patterns, but the resolution of these aerial lidar images is not sufficient for an accurate study of archaeological buildings and monuments, since this process requires terrestrial data acquisition (Pénard et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Surveying Ancient Maya Buildings in the Forest

Vidal-Lorenzo

Cosme

Merlo

2017

Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies

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During the last few decades, 3D scanning devices and 3D digital image generating technology has been developed to the point where they significantly reduce errors and time during data collection thus making them highly appropriate tools in the field of archaeology. With regards to surveying, terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry, they are a viable alternative to traditional methods for measuring. Nevertheless, these technologies are rarely used in projects in the Maya region, even though they offer a wide range of applications, which could be explored and utilised in this subtropical environment. This paper presents the results of digital surveying involving two Maya archaeological sites in Guatemala: La Blanca and Chilonché, as well as demonstrating their effective application for “investigating into the past”.

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Airborne LiDAR, archaeology, and the ancient Maya landscape at Caracol, Belize

Cited by 409 publications

References 37 publications

Mapping the lost megalopolis

Mapping the lost megalopolis

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

Surveying Ancient Maya Buildings in the Forest

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