Tikal’s unknown treasures, Guatemala, 2018
The Maya settlement of Tikal in northeastern Guatemala has been studied for decades, and it’s one of the best understood sites of its kind. Or so experts thought. In 2018, new technology called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has allowed archaeologists to dig a little deeper. LIDAR involves lasers, which pierce through the forestland to the earth below.
Based on how long it takes a beam to bounce back, scientists can map any hidden structures that exist beneath the ground. The recent findings have been extraordinary.
