High-Density LiDAR Mapping of the Ancient City of Mayapán

Abstract

Abstract:A 2013 survey of a 40 square kilometer area surrounding Mayapán, Yucatan, Mexico used high-density LiDAR data to map prehispanic architecture and related natural features. Most of the area is covered by low canopy dense forest vegetation over karstic hilly terrain that impedes full coverage archaeological survey. We used LiDAR at 40 laser points per square meter to generate a bare earth digital elevation model (DEM). Results were evaluated with comparisons to previously mapped areas and with traditional archaeological survey methods for 38 settlement clusters outside of the city wall. Ground checking employed full coverage survey of selected 500 m grid squares, as well as documentation of the chronology and detail of new public and domestic settlement features and cenotes. Results identify the full extent of continued, contemporary Postclassic settlement (A.D. 1150-1450) outside of the city wall to at least 500 meters to the east, north, and west. New data also reveal an extensive modified landscape of terraformed residential hills, rejolladas, and dense settlement dating from Preclassic through Classic Periods. The LiDAR data also allow for the identification of rooms, benches, and stone property walls and lanes within the city.

Employing airborne lidar and archaeological testing to determine the role of small depressions in water management at the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico

“…In addition to the ongoing work at Caracol (Chase et al, 2014), recent projects in the Maya area-ranging from mapping the site of Mayapán (Hare et al, 2014), to measuring the effects of ancient Maya land use on contemporary forest canopy (Hightower et al, 2014), to assisting landscape archaeology studies (Hutson, 2015;Prufer et al, 2015)-have utilized lidar to examine various facets of ancient Maya settlement and ecology. Despite these advances, an underutilized aspect of lidar application in the Maya area is in the study of water management, specifically the analysis of how a society captures, controls, stores, and distributes water resources.…”

Locating Cave Entrances Using Lidar-Derived Local Relief Modeling

“…In areas in which our survey coverage was 100%, we found cave openings not detected in the lidar. This is the most common error reported by archaeologists when using lidar imagery to detect small low-lying structures (<2 m in height) in areas of dense low vegetation [29,[64][65][66][67]. In other areas of Belize, notably the Belize River Valley, invasive Guinea grass and secondary-growth vegetation has limited the effectiveness of lidar in the identification of minor archaeological features [68].…”

Beyond the magic wand: methodological developments and results from integrated Lidar survey at the ancient Maya Center El Pilar

“…Topics of exploration include demographic reconstructions and population estimates (e.g. Canuto et al 2018;Hare, Masson, and Russell 2014), assessments of visualization techniques and the efficacy of Lidar at imaging cultural features (e.g. Cap, Yaeger, and Brown 2018;Ford 2014;Hutson 2015;Hutson et al 2016;Magnoni et al 2016;Prufer, Thompson, and Kennett 2015), new site and feature prospection (e.g.…”

“…Cap, Yaeger, and Brown 2018;Chase et al 2011;Prufer, Thompson, and Kennett 2015;Yaeger, Kathryn Brown, and Cap 2016). Targeted visits to registered features (Canuto et al 2018;Hutson 2015), or systematic survey of selected areas (Ebert, Hoggarth, and Awe 2016;Hare, Masson, and Russell 2014), may be added to map comparisons to enhance assessments. Targeted site visitations and systematic survey of sampled areas have also been used to ground-truth areas not previously surveyed (e.g.…”