Detecting Classic Maya Settlements with Lidar-Derived Relief Visualizations

Abstract

In the past decade, Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) has fundamentally changed our ability to remotely detect archaeological features and deepen our understanding of past human-environment interactions, settlement systems, agricultural practices, and monumental constructions. Across archaeological contexts, lidar relief visualization techniques test how local environments impact archaeological prospection. This study used a 132 km2 lidar dataset to assess three relief visualization techniques—sky-view factor (SVF), topographic position index (TPI), and simple local relief model (SLRM)—and object-based image analysis (OBIA) on a slope model for the non-automated visual detection of small hinterland Classic (250–800 CE) Maya settlements near the polities of Uxbenká and Ix Kuku’il in Southern Belize. Pedestrian survey in the study area identified 315 plazuelas across a 35 km2 area; the remaining 90 km2 in the lidar dataset is yet to be surveyed. The previously surveyed plazuelas were compared to the plazuelas visually identified on the TPI and SLRM. In total, an additional 563 new possible plazuelas were visually identified across the lidar dataset, using TPI and SLRM. Larger plazuelas, and especially plazuelas located in disturbed environments, are often more likely to be detected in a visual assessment of the TPI and SLRM. These findings emphasize the extent and density of Classic Maya settlements and highlight the continued need for pedestrian survey to ground-truth remotely identified archaeological features and the impact of modern anthropogenic behaviors for archaeological prospection. Remote sensing and lidar have deepened our understanding of past human settlement systems and low-density urbanism, processes that we experience today as humans residing in modern cities.

Documentation of Archaeology-Specific Workflow for Airborne LiDAR Data Processing

“…Its objective is to further decipher, interpret, and understand the archaeological features. Differences in terminology-ground validation [29], ground-truthing [50], LiDAR guided survey [21], and field survey [27]-help to explain the existing differences in the understanding of this activity in archaeological practice. Activities in the field draw heavily from the archaeo-topographical survey, which comprises close observation and interpretation of the ground surface, direct measurement of all significant features, detailed analysis of the relationships between features and the production of a plan that illustrates the interpretation arrived at [51].…”

Assessing Classic Maya multi-scalar household inequality in southern Belize

“…Southern Belize polities are characterized by relatively high numbers of elaborate stelae depicting political leaders, a general lack of masonry superstructures [ 58 ], and dispersed, low-density settlements [ 66 , 67 ]. Residential plazuelas (henceforth referred to simply as plazuelas), are composed of domestic structures situated around a central plaza [ 68 ].…”

“…The settlement systems of Uxbenká and Ix Kuku’il together contain hundreds of plazuelas that are dispersed across the landscape and cluster into neighborhoods and districts [ 71 – 73 ]. Many of these plazuelas are small with low household structures less than 50 cm high [ 67 ] and are often neglected in archaeological studies of settlements that focus on larger buildings with more abundant remains of cultural materials. Neighborhoods are defined as social units that are spatially discrete where social and economic interactions occurred between residents on a daily basis [ 74 , 75 ].…”

Virtual cultural landscapes: Geospatial visualizations of past environments

“…Cooperative (coercive or voluntaristic) labour (Carballo et al, 2014) is informed through the reconstruction of anthropogenic landscape modifications (Inomata et al, 2019;Prufer & Thompson, 2016) have been used to detect sacred spaces such as caves (Moyes & Montgomery, 2016 and new sites including Classic Maya household plazuelas (Horn & Ford, 2019;Thompson, 2020). The use of lidar across the Maya region has further proven the diversity of ancient Maya cities in regard to settlement dispersal (Canuto et al, 2018), multi-scalar distributions of household wealth and anthropogenic landscape modifications for agriculture, including terracing (Chase & Weishampel, 2016) and massive irrigated field systems (Beach et al, 2019;Krause et al, 2021).…”

“…Topographic Position Index (TPI) and Sky-View Factor (SVF) (see Thompson, 2020). The SLRM, TPI and SVF raster files were visually assessed for the presence of modified hilltops indicative of Classic Maya households (Figure 6).…”