A high-resolution LiDAR survey of the remote Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas has revealed a massive Maya industrial beekeeping complex. The site consists of thousands of artificial stone terraces specifically designed to house log hives for the stingless Melipona bee. These terraces are strategically located near high-altitude flowering tree clusters to maximize honey and wax production for regional trade.
The mapping also identified several fortified warehouses with thick stone walls and narrow ventilation slits, likely used to store the valuable honey yield and protect it from raiding parties. This find suggests that honey production was not merely a household activity but a highly organized, state-controlled industry that supported the economic power of the local Maya polities during the Late Classic period.