A Tale of Two Surveys: Comparing the Results of 2013 and 2022 Lidar Surveys in Western Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

LiDAR survey was undertaken in the Mopan Valley of Western Belize by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping in 2013 using the Gemini LiDAR sensor and again in 2022 using the newer Titan sensor. A total of 138 square kilometers were surveyed both times. A comparison of the data in the resurveyed area shows that the Titan sensor provided data with a higher resolution and fidelity. In this paper, we examine the differences between the data produced by the two surveys, particularly in terms of the visibility of settlement traces that have small footprints and are very low in height, including low mounds, causeways, agricultural terraces, quarries, and chultuns. We then discuss the implications the new data has for enhancing our understanding of ancient Maya settlement patterns, sacred landscapes, economic systems, and agricultural systems.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 54014