Under the jungle, a more pluralistic Maya society

The stone temple in the ancient city of Caracol soars above the jungle in western Belize, an enduring symbol of the Maya dynasties that ruled Central America for centuries. Caracol’s central temple and others like it have long been viewed as symbols of the authoritarian structure of ancient Maya government, with kings holding all the power. But what lurks below the jungle tells a different story.

With the help of aerial lidar, a remote sensing technology that maps the Earth’s surface with aircraft-mounted lasers, archaeologists have discovered the remains of sprawling urban areas beneath the vegetation at Caracol and other Maya sites in recent years.