Fig 1.
Typical examples of Puuc masonry architecture.
(A) Labna. (B) Chacmultun. (C) Rancho Pérez.
Fig 2.
Site density in the Maya area.
Red signifies zones of high density. Because survey coverage is uneven, and no attempt is made to account for site size or date of occupation, this should not be taken as a representation of actual population density. (Based upon the Electronic Atlas of Ancient Maya Sites [8]; data courtesy of Walter Witschey).
Fig 3.
Map of the Puuc region, Yucatan, Mexico.
Table 1.
Lidar data collection parameters*.
Table 2.
Lidar point cloud statistics.
Fig 4.
Methods of data visualization.
(A) Hillshade. (B) “Slope-shade” filters. (C) CAD overlay of structures identified by terrestrial survey. 1 = Pit quarry, 2 = ledge quarry, 3 = perishable frame brace, 4 = masonry building, 5 = EPCC, 6 = annular structure, 7 = chultun/chultun platform. Only a few representatives are labeled. Note the difficulty of distinguishing frame braces in the lidar images.
Fig 5.
Vegetation classified by height in the NCALM sample (difference of the DSM and DTM raster layers).
The greater part is medium tropical deciduous forest, in dark green.
Table 3.
Current land cover of the survey area.
Fig 6.
Frame braces of perishable housing.
(A) An archaeological example cleared for mapping (not visible in the lidar). (B) examples from Acambalam II/III. (C) a particularly well-defined example from Kiuic, adjacent to a vaulted building (fb = frame brace, v = vaulted building).
Fig 7.
Areas covered by ground survey, 2000–2020.
Total coverage is 21.4 km2.
Fig 8.
Basal structure density sectors within the NCALM and Alianza lidar samples.
Note that Sector 1 is not colored.
Table 4.
Structure density sectors (see Fig 8).
Fig 9.
Major site cores within the lidar sample (merged structure density sectors 3–5).
Table 5.
Site core* statistics of the ten largest communities.
Fig 10.
Map of the major classified landforms within the NCALM lidar sample.
Table 6.
Land forms and settlement statistics.
Fig 11.
(A) A planada cleared for cultivation in the Distrito de Bolonchen. (B) A portion of the Muluchtzekel planada. The archaeological site is in the surrounding terreno intermedio.
Fig 12.
Terracing of Bolonchen cerros.
(A, B) Cerro Ku Witz. (C, D) Hill west of Muluchtzekel.
Fig 13.
Middle Preclassic civic structures.
(A) Paso del Macho, (B) a similar center near UTM N2233300E231700, Zone 16N, (C) the Yaxhom acropolis, (D) the Muluchtzekel acropolis. See also Fig 16B. All are to a common scale.
Fig 14.
Examples of Early Puuc Civic Complexes (EPCCs).
(A) Kiuic. (B) Huntichmul (1 of 2). (C) EPCC-J4870E1430. (D) Tabi-Xunantunich. (E) EPCC-J9215E9045, (F) EPCC-J6005E6160. All are to a common scale.
Fig 15.
Locations of Early Puuc Civic Complexes (EPCCs) within the lidar sample.
Fig 16.
Ballcourts within the lidar sample.
(A) a probable Middle Preclassic example near UTM N2233300E231700. (B) a newly identified acropolis, Uchbenmul, possibly dating to the Middle Preclassic. (C) Late-Terminal Classic period example from Sabana Piletas. (D, E) possible small ballcourts.
Fig 17.
(A) An example of an annular structures. (B) density distribution of annular structures.
Table 7.
Annular counts/density in platform density sectors (see Table 4).
Table 8.
Landforms and annular structures.
Fig 18.
Evidence of stone quarrying visible in lidar imagery.
(A) a section of the ledge quarry at Kom. (B) the Kom ledge quarry in the lidar imagery, marked with arrows. Note proximity to palace group. (C) a ledge quarry at Muluchtzekel, marked with arrows.
Fig 19.
Modification of cerros (hills) by quarrying.
(A, B) two cerros with terraces that may result from quarrying. (C) the Labna palace. (D) lidar imagery of the Labna palace, showing how the hill behind it was excavated for the building site.
Fig 20.
Cerros industriales/residenciales.
Hills supporting possible corporate residential units involved in common production activities. N = nivelación, A = annular structure. Not all instances are labeled.
Fig 21.
Water storage cisterns (chultuns).
(A) chultun neck. (B) chultun openings visible in lidar. Larger pits are collapsed chultuns. Not all instances are marked with arrows.
Fig 22.
(A) Aguada Xpotoit, Yaxhom. (B) Aguada Xloch, Muluchtzekel. (C) Kom aguada. (D) Huntichmul aguada. (E) aguadas identified in lidar imagery. Note feeder channels to aguada beds in examples A-D.
Table 9.
Aguada metrics.
Fig 23.
Sacbes (stone causeways) in lidar imagery of Caanil Cah.
Note the connection of the earlier EPCC with later complexes with vaulted architecture. SB = sacbe (causeway), EPCC = Early Puuc Civic Complex, PY = pyramid, FB = frame brace, CH = chultun, VS = vaulted building. Not all instances are marked.
Fig 24.
Least Cost Paths (LCPs) emanating from Kiuic and Huntichmul to eight other major destinations in the survey sample.
Table 10.
Settlement along least-cost paths.
Fig 25.
Spatial relation between EPCCs and LCPs.
Table 11.
Population projected on the basis of room statistics.