Archaeology & LiDAR Quiz - DOI:10.1126/science.aau0137

When was the Late Mayan classic period?

• 650-800 BCE

• 650-800 CE

• 900-1200 BCE

• 900-1200 CE

What was the estimated population in the Mayan lowlands during the late classic period?

• 1 to 3 million

• 3 to 7 million

• 7 to 11 million

• 11 to 13 million

What kind of data were used for this study?

• vector

• raster

• both

Can you achieve the desired resolution solely with raster data, or would employing both raster and vector data be a more effective approach for such a study?

• Using raster data is enough to give a clear answer to the questions poised in this study.

• Using vector data is enough to give a clear answer to the questions poised in this study.

• Using both vector and raster data is necessary to answer the questions poised in this study.

What did the authors find related to Mayan infrastructure?

• Water channels and causeways

• Ceremonial, residential, and defense structures

• Urban, peri-urban, and rural areas

• All of the above

What were the names of the seasonal wetlands?

• Bajos

• Altos

• Chaparros

• Banos

How can the presence of bajos impact the interpretation of this study?

• Providing insights into ancient agricultural practices and land use strategies.

• Influencing settlement patterns and the distribution of ancient Maya communities.

• Contributing to our understanding of water management and resource utilization by the ancient Maya.

• Shedding light on the environmental factors that shaped ancient sociopolitical organization.

How were the central lowlands first mapped?

• Photogrammetry

• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

• Visual Surveys

• All of the above

The authors provide two scenarios of the complexity of late classic Mayan civilizations. Which one did they favor after the use of Lidar technology?

• Small urban centers were governed by competing elites which were sustained by a relatively small rural populace engaged in swidden farming with minimal reliance on intensive agriculture.

• A network of densely populated cities across the region characterized by intricate integration mechanisms, reliant on substantial labor investments both within and beyond urban centers.

• Both

• Neither

What are the advantages of using Lidar (Pacunam Lidar Initiative) in terms of data integration and completeness?

• High Precision and detailed 3D representation

• Integration with other data sources (collaboration) and comprehensive coverage

• Improved feature extraction and enhanced data quality

• All of the above