A new LiDAR survey over the dense jungles of the Guatemalan Highlands has revealed a 150-mile-long 'Jade Road' that connected major Mayan cities during the Classic period. This elevated causeway was specifically designed for the transport of jade and obsidian, revealing a much higher level of inter-city economic cooperation than previously assumed.
The mapping also uncovered dozens of previously unknown watchtowers and storage depots along the route. Researchers believe this infrastructure supported a centralized trade monopoly that allowed the Mayan elite to control the distribution of high-value ritual materials across the entire Mesoamerican region.