Space , Time , Place Third International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology 17 th - 21 st August 2009 Tiruchirappalli , Tamil Nadu , India

To understand the social, political, economic, and ecological implications of historic land use patterns of Caracol, one of the largest (~200 sq km) Maya archaeological sites, we are conducting a regional survey using satellite and airborne sensors. About one-fifth of this polity has been mapped with traditional ground-based methods. In this NASA-funded project, we acquired Landsat TM/ETM, IKONOS, and smallfootprint LiDAR data to detect archaeological features and measure rainforest properties based on canopy spectral signatures, threedimensional canopy structure, and below-canopy topography. Using pattern analysis techniques, we will delineate causeways, agricultural terraces, reservoirs, plazas, and buildings to determine the extent and spatial organization of the urban and suburban settlements around Caracol. Although the Maya typically clearcut ~75% of the land they inhabited, the vegetation rebounded to yield the most vast natural reforestation event in recent history (c. 1000 BP). From the imagery and point-cloud data, we will derive aboveground biomass and habitat structure (e.g., canopy top height, canopy openness, crown diameter of dominant trees, canopy texture) and assess forest recovery patterns. Thus, this study will link ancient land use legacies to current ecological condition and represents the most ambitious application of LiDAR for below-canopy archaeological prospecting to date.