As Maya archaeology enters the age of lidar, it risks disregarding earlier settlement data gathering endeavors. Lest such efforts now be deemed superseded, we suggest that it remains profoundly incumbent to recognize, digitize, and analyze the ground survey efforts so doggedly and painstakingly acquired using traditional “boots on the ground” methods. These vital data can…

Beginning with the pioneering survey at Caracol in the Vaca Plateau of Belize (Chase et al. 2011a; Chase et al. 2011b) roughly a decade ago, the application of lidar in the Maya lowlands initiated a sea change in settlement research in the Maya area. Since then, a raft of studies has shown how this technology…