New LiDAR data has revealed a vast network of Maya agricultural terraces and water management systems hidden beneath the dense jungle canopy of the Petén Basin. This discovery challenges previous estimates of the region's carrying capacity, suggesting that the Maya supported millions more people than previously thought through intensive farming.
The mapping also identified several defensive walls and watchtowers, indicating that the Classic period was marked by significant territorial competition. These findings will help archaeologists better understand the environmental pressures that contributed to the eventual decline of Maya urban centers.