Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

[Political Junky]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

 

[frigidweirdo]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's really cool. Though millions more from the 5 million they thought, might be up to 15 million. At the time this was a lot of people, when humans were a little more in tune with their planet.

 

[WheelieAddict]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

Awesome thanks for the link I love this kind of stuff.

 

[Two Thumbs]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

 

[Meathead]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

 

[Two Thumbs]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

These centers didn't last long as they destroyed the area and could only pull so much in from so far away.

then they moved and did it again.

 

[Meathead]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

These centers didn't last long as they destroyed the area and could only pull so much in from so far away.

then they moved and did it again.

Just the fact that the Maya were able to build a civilization in a tropical rain forest with little infussion is certainly unique. It would be fascinating to specualte how the Inca, Aztec and Maya civilizations would have evolved without Spanish conquest. They were still neolithic peoples but on the cusp of entering an iron age.

 

[Two Thumbs]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

These centers didn't last long as they destroyed the area and could only pull so much in from so far away.

then they moved and did it again.

Just the fact that the Maya were able to build a civilization in a tropical rain forest with little infussion is certainly unique. It would be fascinating to specualte how the Inca, Aztec and Maya civilizations would have evolved without Spanish conquest. They were still neolithic peoples but on the cusp of entering an iron age.

considering the high level of human sacrifice, I'd say we only speeded up their demise by a century.

and they were running out of places to live. They destroyed any area they lived in, that's why they have so many empty cities.

 

[Meathead]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

These centers didn't last long as they destroyed the area and could only pull so much in from so far away.

then they moved and did it again.

Just the fact that the Maya were able to build a civilization in a tropical rain forest with little infussion is certainly unique. It would be fascinating to specualte how the Inca, Aztec and Maya civilizations would have evolved without Spanish conquest. They were still neolithic peoples but on the cusp of entering an iron age.

considering the high level of human sacrifice, I'd say we only speeded up their demise by a century.

and they were running out of places to live. They destroyed any area they lived in, that's why they have so many empty cities.

The Maya and Inca were not heavily into human sacrifce, or at least there is scant record of it. For the Aztecs, on the other hand, it was a common ritual.

 

[Old Rocks]

More human history revealed. Ten million people may have lived here.

Scientists discover ancient Mayan city hidden under Guatemalan jungle

Aerial laser mapping detects thousands of hidden structures in Peten region, suggesting its population was millions more than previously thought

It's really cool. Though millions more from the 5 million they thought, might be up to 15 million. At the time this was a lot of people, when humans were a little more in tune with their planet.

Only a little more. Mayan agriculture and logging practices essentially led to their downfall.

 

[Two Thumbs]

It's amazing how far we spred and contracted over the eons.


15 million laid waste to the region though

Slash and burn agriculture typical of tropical rain forests only works for the short term as rain eventually leeches the top soil of nutrients rendering it infertile and leads to the dispersals of populations.

These centers didn't last long as they destroyed the area and could only pull so much in from so far away.

then they moved and did it again.

Just the fact that the Maya were able to build a civilization in a tropical rain forest with little infussion is certainly unique. It would be fascinating to specualte how the Inca, Aztec and Maya civilizations would have evolved without Spanish conquest. They were still neolithic peoples but on the cusp of entering an iron age.

considering the high level of human sacrifice, I'd say we only speeded up their demise by a century.

and they were running out of places to live. They destroyed any area they lived in, that's why they have so many empty cities.

The Maya and Inca were not heavily into human sacrifce, or at least there is scant record of it. For the Aztecs, on the other hand, it was a common ritual.

sorry, hard to keep them all separate

either way, war between their own was more than inevitable.

those regions can barely support a population that's much smaller.

 

[Old Rocks]

Jared Diamond has a very good book on civilizations that destroyed themselves. It is called 'Collapse', and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the rise and fall of civilizations and the reasons for that.

 

[IsaacNewton]

I think it better to leave these sites alone. Why do humans have to fuck with every molecule they come into contact with. Map it, don't cut down any forest, then move on. Although now grave robbers will descend on the area so the point is moot. A hundred years from now there will only be jobs left for 3 archeologists because all the big discoveries will have been found and dug up.

 

[Old Rocks]

I disagree. Sometime, some where, we may find a trove of Mayan codexes. Why leave such for treasure hunters that might destroy them while hunting gold and artifacts.

 

[Political Junky]

Laser scanning reveals 'lost' ancient Mexican city had as many buildings as Manhattan