Researchers used LiDAR scans of Maya urban centers to conclude that, when the population was at its peak circa 600-900 C.E., this civilization was much larger than experts once thought.

Because so much remains to be discovered about the Maya civilization, it has long been difficult for researchers to accurately estimate its population.

In 2018, experts suggested that the population of the Maya may have been around 11 million. However, a new study from Tulane University archaeologists, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports , claims that the Maya population could have been closer to 16 million, representing a roughly 45 percent increase over previous estimates.

New evidence furthermore suggested that Maya cities were more sophisticated than previously believed, f

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