Laser Beams Discover a Lost World
On a summer day in 2017, a group of researchers board a small plane in northern Guatemala in Central America. It takes off from the runway and climbs high into the air. Lush green jungle stretches far into the horizon. Its dense canopy covers the uneven landscape, giving it the appearance of a rolling green sea. It’s a beautiful sight. But the researchers inside the cockpit aren’t here for the view. They have come to discover what lies beneath the thick, sprawling greenery.
Centuries ago, during about 1,800 BCE to 900 CE, the Maya civilization called this low-lying swampy area home. They were skilled farmers and brave warriors. They studied science, mathematics, and medicine. The Maya people
