Remote Sensing and Archaeology in the Maya Lowlands
"Slow and laborious travel, a hot, humid climate, swarms of insects, and prevalence of tropical diseases have greatly retarded exploration of the Maya country. Even in such parts of it as can be reached the traveler is so buried in the 'bush', so shut in and engulfed...he can literally never see more than a few feet or yards..." - Ricketson and Kidder, 1930
Archaeological investigations in the Maya Lowlands have long been hindered by the dense vegetation that covers ruins, impedes survey, and generally slows down an archaeological project.
However, remote sensing technologies have begun to take an important place in the archaeologist's toolbox. The ability of satellite sensors to cover huge areas of ground quickly and accurately, coupled with band combinations that can reveal signatures not available to the naked eye make remote sensing technologies important to both archaeological excavation and survey. Satellite imagery can help an archaeologist establish a plan for survey and highlight areas that might be productive for excavation. The use of satellite imagery greatly expedites a process that traditionally would take many years.
This website serves as a resource for students and participants in the Dos Hombres to Gran Cacao Archaeological Project in Belize, C.A. This page covers the subject of remote sensing and Maya Lowland archaeology, focusing on the history of remote sensing in the Maya lowlands, resources available to Mayanists interested in remote sensing, and work currently in progress concerning remote sensing and Maya studies.