A lost city found in Honduras; is it the fabled Ciudad Blanca?

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

By Thomas H. Maugh II
June 7, 2012, 11:01 a.m.

A team from the University of Houston, using laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) from a survey plane, have found the ruins of an ancient city deep in Honduras' Mosquito Coast region and hidden by centuries of jungle growth.

The city may or may not be Ciudad Blanca, but it certainly appears to be a major archaeological site.

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/...0,239209.story

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

University of Houston news article:

UH Research Team Uses Airborne LiDAR to Unveil Honduran Archaeological Ruins

Laura Tolley
June 5, 2012-Houston

A field team from the University of Houston and the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) has mapped a remote region of Honduras that may contain the legendary lost city of Ciudad Blanca.

The results, recently announced by Honduras President Porfirio Lobo, mark the successful completion of the first light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey of that country's Mosquitia region, one of the world’s least-explored virgin rainforests.

An initial analysis of the LiDAR survey has identified ruins that could be those of Ciudad Blanca or other long-hidden sites. The information provides archaeologists with the precise locations of features within fractions of meters for further study.

More: http://www.uh.edu/news-events/News%2...ARHonduras.php

[Astaran]

LiDAR is one amazing tool for archaeological research.

You can literally discover one single barrow within the deepest and most unaccessible woods

[Tropical_ulcer]

*in before 2012 doomsday conections being posted*

[nougabol]

amazing, archeology rocks...

[JCR]

Amazing find
Here's to hoping archaelogists get there before the looters.

*in before 2012 doomsday conections being posted*

Doesn't necessarily have to be a Mayan city.
There were other civilizations in Mesoamerica as well.
But 2012 certainly has brought a time of change to Mayan archaeologists, because of all the attention they get

[Tropical_ulcer]

Amazing find
Here's to hoping archaelogists get there before the looters.



Doesn't necessarily have to be a Mayan city.
There were other civilizations in Mesoamerica as well.
But 2012 certainly has brought a time of change to Mayan archaeologists, because of all the attention they get

general public wont notice the diference beetwen a inuit and the mayans

[Quietscheentchen]

^^
The ones running over ice, the others through a jungle.

[Mujo2000]

I saw the picture, but can somebody tell me what I am looking at? I see the different shades of green, and that river (?) in there. What is supposed to be the city, the buildings, etc?

[armored_diplomacy]

I find awesome and encouraging the fact hat there are still "lost cities" over there waiting to be re-discovered.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Amazing find
Here's to hoping archaelogists get there before the looters.

Very much agree.

I find awesome and encouraging the fact hat there are still "lost cities" over there waiting to be re-discovered.

Remote sensing has been used in the service of archaeology before, I believe.
Very interesting technique, imho.

I might be able to find more articles.

[Tropical_ulcer]

^^
The ones running over ice, the others through a jungle.

they will say the ice is due to the winter in the jungle

[Astaran]

Remote sensing has been used in the service of archaeology before, I believe.
Very interesting technique, imho.

I might be able to find more articles.

Yes, it has. LiDAR systems are part of the common research techniques for archaeologist, however they are rather expansive (at least for "normal" archaeologists).
I have seen several LiDAR maps in my archeology classes and they are absolutely amazing. The amount of details one can see is astonishing.

[Meatwad]

Anyone seen my fedora?

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Yes, it has. LiDAR systems are part of the common research techniques for archaeologist, however they are rather expansive (at least for "normal" archaeologists).
I have seen several LiDAR maps in my archeology classes and they are absolutely amazing. The amount of details one can see is astonishing.

Glad to hear that.

An article from 2009:

The Past in High-Def

Volume 62 Number 3, May/June 2009
By Eric A. Powell

The world's ancient heritage is coming to your desktop in 3-D

http://www.archaeology.org/0905/etc/high_def.html


A 3-D laser scan shows the Grand Plaza at the classic Maya center of Tikal (ca. A.D. 200-900) in present-day Guatemala. A composite of several readings, the scan is accurate to within a millimeter. (Courtesy CyArk)


A "point cloud" of Tikal's Pyramid II depicts the front of the structure. The scanner itself is visible at the top right of the pyramid. (Courtesy CyArk)