New Research Suggests Maya Population May Have Topped 16 Million

Largest previously unknown ceremonial center discovered with NASA's GLIHT lidar data in Campeche, Mexico
Graphic by Francisco Estrada-Belli

Archaeology.org News

FWIW: Long ago, my Latin Am history prof noted to us that even by that time, before the writing was deciphered, that four population peaks had been discerned just from the dating of the then-known ruins.

No wonder they resorted to child sacrifice.

And Mexico had maybe 4.5M at time of contact.

So uh...where’d the other 10M go? Eaten by tigers? Murdered by their relatives?

Extrapolations of population density from a few ruins is a dangerous biz. But if you want to push a narrative, what the hell. Just fictionalize everything!

Mayan your own business!

I always knew this based on my own studies. Just the salt mined alone was 5 times the need for the population they previously claimed... And the amount of crop area just as much more... Same all over South America.

The rest of four keywords (maya, mayas, mayan, mayans), duplicates out, 107 errant topics out (by hand), and sorted:

Skeleton in Guatemalan jungle likely US birdwatcher missing since 2023 [07/23/2025]
'Remarkable' 3,000-year-old Mayan city named 'The Grandparents' unearthed in Guatemala [05/31/2025]
Teotihuacan Altar Uncovered in Maya City [04/09/2025]
Neither Atlantis nor the Mayans: Artificial intelligence discovers a lost civilization beneath the desert sands [03/11/2025]
Vast ancient Mayan city is found in a Mexican jungle -- by accident [10/30/2024]
Lidar Imagery Reveals More Than 6,500 Unexplored Ancient Mayan Settlements, Including Pyramids [10/29/2024]
INAH finds reliefs depicting celestial ancestors and mystic animals of the Kaanu'l dynasty [10/28/2024]
Mysterious Venomous Crustaceans From Mayan Underwater Caves Could Treat Neurological Disease [10/14/2024]
A Newfound Tablet Adds the Name of a Previously Forgotten Maya King to History [08/20/2024]
Stela Discovered in Mexico's Cobá Archaeological Zone [08/16/2024]
$3.99 thrift store find turns out to be nearly 2,000-year-old Mayan vase [06/19/2024]
DNA Analysis Overturns Myths of Maya Empire's Child Sacrifice Rituals [06/13/2024]
Vestiges of Beekeeping Discovered on the Mayan Train [05/28/2024]
The Maya Blessed Their Ballcourts With Rituals Using Psychedelic Plants [05/06/2024]
Discovery in Maya pyramid reveals dramatic dynasty collapse, archaeologists say [04/23/2024]
Colorado Gallery Sells Mayan Artifacts Despite Demands To Stop From Mexican Officials [04/08/2024]
Jade mask discovered in pyramid tomb of Maya King [01/27/2024]
'Take Care of Maya:' Jury finds Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital liable for all 7 claims in $220M case [11/09/2023]
NATIONAL PUMPKIN SEED DAY | First Wednesday in October [10/04/2023]
Deformed skulls and ritual beheadings found at Maya pyramid in Mexico [08/26/2023]
The Maya coveted mercury. It may have hastened their downfall. [08/17/2023]
Ancient Mayan Skull Carving Found in German Antique Shop Returned to Mexico [07/21/2023]
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Maya City Filled With Pyramids, Palaces And Sports Fields [07/20/2023]
Lost Maya City Discovered in the Jungle [06/21/2023]
'[redacted] Imperialism': Activists Bum Rush Stage, Harass Archaeologist For Excavating Ancient Site [04/24/2023]
Archaeologists discover Mayan scoreboard in Mexico's Yucatan [04/13/2023]
Study suggests Mayas utilized market-based economics [01/08/2023]
Oldest Evidence of Maya Calendar Discovered in Guatemala [12/09/2022]
Maya sacrifice victims found with mysterious blue string in their teeth [10/11/2022]
Ancient Maya Cities Appear to Have Been Riddled With Mercury Pollution [09/26/2022]
Oxtankah archaeological site holds clues about ancient Maya seafarers [08/08/2022]
2,000-year-old Mayan pot discovered in Playa del Carmen cave [07/22/2022]
Ancient wooden Mayan canoe unearthed almost intact in Mexico [10/30/2021]
Archaeologists detect thousands of ruins along Mexico's Maya Train route [10/25/2021]
Clues to The Collapse of a Maya Civilization Found in Ancient Human Feces [07/08/2021]
Fecal records show Maya population fell due to climate change that caused droughts and flooding [07/01/2021]
[Mexico] National Guard, police dispatched to protect archaeological site: Construction at Teotihuacan has caused 'irreparable damage,' say officials [06/05/2021]
Possible 'embassy' in ancient Maya city illuminates the birth of an empire [04/25/2021]
Mural Painted More Than 2,500 Years Ago Depicts Salt as an Ancient Maya Commodity at a Marketplace [Mayan Salt Trade 500 BC] [03/23/2021]
Scientists Identify Contents of Ancient Maya Drug Containers [01/15/2021]
Ancient Maya Built Sophisticated Water Filter System Light-Years Ahead Of The Rest Of The World [10/27/2020]
Scientists Reveal More About Volcanic Eruption That Rocked the Ancient Maya [09/30/2020]
The great Maya "white road" that connected the cities of Coba and Yaxuna [08/02/2020]
Ancient Maya reservoirs contained toxic pollution [07/01/2020]
Maya monuments and maize in the Americas [LIDAR discovery of Aguada Fenix] [06/04/2020]
Astounding New Finds Suggest Ancient Empire Hiding in Plain Sight [03/04/2020]
Human Sacrifice In The Pre-Columbian Americas [10/14/2019]
A Mayan Archaeologist Has Discovered 27 Previously Unknown Ancient Sites -- All (from his Computer) [10/14/2019]
Lost cave of 'Jaguar God' rediscovered below Mayan Ruins -- and it's full of treasure [03/08/2019]
Maya ritual cave 'untouched' for 1,000 years stuns archaeologists [03/05/2019]
Unprecedented study confirms massive scale of lowland Maya civilization [09/28/2018]
Archaeologists unearth rare 7th century mask showing Mayan ruler in his old age [08/28/2018]
Amazon Jungle Once Home to Millions More Than Previously Thought [03/28/2018]
Laser scanning reveals 'lost' ancient Mexican city 'had as many buildings as Manhattan' [02/17/2018]
Lost Mayan City Discovered Under Guatemala Jungle [02/06/2018]
Exclusive: Laser Scans Reveal Maya "Megalopolis" Below Guatemalan Jungle [02/02/2018]
World's longest underwater cave discovered in Mexico - could shed light on Mayan civilization [01/17/2018]
Global warming killed off the Mayans by locking leaders in violent power struggle [04/05/2017]
Ancient Mayan Superhighways [Causeways] Found in the Guatemala Jungle [01/31/2017]
In Search of the Lost Empire of the Maya [08/13/2016]
How Southeastern Mayan People Overcame The Catastrophic Eruption Of Ilopango? [06/18/2016]
Teen uses satellite imagery to discover possible ancient Mayan ruins [05/20/2016]
Breaking down the mythical 'Mayan city' discovery [05/11/2016]
Star pupil finds lost Mayan city by studying ancient charts of the night sky from his bedroom [05/10/2016]
Recently Discovered Mayan Pyramid Confirmed As One Of The Largest Ever Seen [05/06/2016]
Volcanic Evidence Opens New Maya Mystery [01/05/2016]
Ancient arrowheads reveal the gory practices of Maya 'life force' rituals. [10/21/2015]
Mexican site yields new details of sacrifice of Spaniards [They ate them!] [10/13/2015]
Chocolate, Chocolate, It's Good For Your Heart, Study Finds [06/22/2015]
Hunt for ancient royal tomb in Mexico takes mercurial twist [04/25/2015]
Will Liquid Mercury Show The Way To King's Tomb In Mysterious City Of Teotihuacan? [04/25/2015]
Maya Mural Reveals Ancient 'Photobomb' [no it doesn't] [03/25/2015]
Mysterious Jade May Have Been Offering to Gods [...or not] [03/11/2015]
Was the Mayan civilisation wiped out by an extreme drought? Study of Great Blue Hole suggests [12/30/2014]
Ancient Chihuahuas in Southeastern U.S.? [11/30/2014]
Ancient Maya Cities Found in Jungle [08/16/2014]
Digging Up the Past (Polanyi redistribution paradigm disproven) [12/27/2013]
Clay balls unearthed at Mayan site probably used for cooking [07/15/2013]
Lost Mayan city discovered in Mexican jungle..but will find shed light on civilization's collapse [06/24/2013]
How the internet is fast unravelling mysteries of the Mayan script [05/29/2013]
Mayan pyramid bulldozed: Ancient pyramid flattened by construction crew [05/15/2013]
Bulldozers destroy 3,200-year-old Mayan pyramid in Belize [05/14/2013]
Evidence suggests Maya roots more tangled than previously thought [04/25/2013]
Volcanic burial ground allows detailed insight into Maya crops [04/05/2013]
New Thoughts on the Maya City of Kiuic [01/16/2013]
History Channel program probes Mayan presence in North Georgia [12/24/2012]
Maya Calendars Actually Predict That Life Goes On [12/13/2012]
Mayan Match!: Baillie discovers correlation between ice core chemistry spikes & Mayan Long Count... [12/11/2012]
Mayan Bones Reveal Painful End [11/23/2012]
Guatemala excavates early Mayan ruler's tomb [700 - 400 BC!] [10/26/2012]
Archaeologists Discover Tomb of Maya Queen Lady K'abel in Guatemala [10/06/2012]
Mexican Experts Explore Tomb of Presumed 5th-Century Mayan Leader [09/15/2012]
10 Civilizations That Disappeared Under Mysterious Circumstances [07/24/2012]
"Dramatic" New Maya Temple Found, Covered With Giant Faces [ El Zotz ] [07/22/2012]
Mayans used reservoir, sand-filtered water to support urban population at Tikal [07/16/2012]
Maya archaeologists unearth new 2012 monument [06/29/2012]
Suppressed By Scholars: Twin Ancient Cultures On Opposite Sides Of The Pacific [05/19/2012]
Painted ancient Maya numbers reflect calendar reaching well beyond 2012 (w/ Video) [05/14/2012]
Maya Artwork Uncovered In A Guatemalan Forest [05/13/2012]
German Drops Mayan Skull, Endangers Mankind [05/12/2012]
Massive 1,100+ year old Maya site discovered in Georgia's mountains [12/22/2011]
Mexico Acknowledges 2nd Mayan Reference To 2012 [11/24/2011]
Any Freepers an expert in Mayan artifacts? [10/09/2011]
University of Colorodo...discovers...road...Maya village buried...volcanic ash 1,400 years ago [10/05/2011]
Mamma Maya! 2,000-year-old skeleton of Queen discovered among treasures in rodent-infested tomb [09/25/2011]
Bowls of Fingers, Baby Victims, More Found in Maya Tomb [09/25/2011]
2,000-year-old palace discovered in Mexico [09/03/2011]
Fossils Reveal that Maya People Knew about Prehistory [07/29/2011]
Mexico finds 2 sculptures of Mayan warriors [07/07/2011]
Micro-camera Provides First Peek Inside Mayan Tomb [06/26/2011]
NOAA and partners explore the hidden world of the maritime Maya [05/24/2011]
El Mirador, the Lost City of the Maya [04/23/2011]
Lost City of Atlantis found -- again -- this time in Guatemala [04/19/2011]
Discovery in Guatemala finds oldest royal Mayan tomb [04/06/2011]
Mayans pray for Obama ahead of visit..... [03/22/2011]
An Unknown Son of Pakal II of Palenque has Been Identified by Mexican Archaeologists [02/21/2011]
Have South American natives inherited a legacy of violent blood shed? [02/10/2011]
Ancient Maya Temples Were Giant Loudspeakers? [12/30/2010]
Mayans converted wetlands to farmland [12/09/2010]
Cuckoo In Cancun [12/06/2010]
Resurrecting the Maize King [ Mayan funeral ] [10/21/2010]
Undersea Cave Yields One of Oldest Skeletons in Americas [09/15/2010]
Mexican Archaeologists Extract 10,000 Year-Old Skeleton from Flooded Cave in Quintana Roo [08/31/2010]
Mexico's Anthropology Specialists Identify Name of Maya Ruler [08/30/2010]
Mayan pool in the rainforest (Yucatan) [08/26/2010]
Bowls of Human Fingers and Teeth Found in Mayan Tomb [08/05/2010]
Mayan King's Tomb Discovered in Guatemala [07/16/2010]
Pictures: Massive Maya City Revealed by Lasers [05/21/2010]
Mapping Ancient Civilization, in a Matter of Days [05/10/2010]
Teotihuacan Lineage at Tikal Studied [04/06/2010]
Wall with Maya Seignior Glyphs Discovered at Archaeological Zone [02/07/2010]
1000-Year-Old Monument with Image of Mayan Ruler Found [01/24/2010]
Mayan Calender Includes Image of Obama ?? [01/16/2010]
Honduran ruins predate Mayans [01/01/2010]
Ancient Mayans Likely Had Fountains and Toilets [12/23/2009]
UCSB Archaeologist Disputes Common Belief About Collapse of Maya Civilization [12/19/2009]
World's Largest Pyramid Discovered, Lost Mayan City Of Mirador, Guatemala? - VIDEO [11/10/2009]
Divers probe Mayan ruins submerged in Guatemala lake [11/01/2009]
Divers probe Mayan ruins submerged in Guatemala lake [10/31/2009]
Guatemala Mayan city may have ended in pyramid battle [09/06/2009]
Mayan 'apocalypse' crop circle appears at Silbury Hill [07/11/2009]
Mayan 'apocalypse' crop circle appears at Silbury Hill... [07/09/2009]
Connecting dots of migration in ancient Southwest [ Anasazi star orientation? ] [07/03/2009]
Sacred plants of the Maya forest [06/05/2009]
UAH casts eye on Maya mystery [global warming shills] [04/20/2009]
Rare Maya panels found in Guatemala [03/12/2009]
Portal to Maya "hell" found in Mexico? [11/11/2008]
New Maya Olmec Archeological Find in Guatemala [Takalik Abaj] [11/03/2008]
Fighting with Jaguars, Bleeding for Rain: Has a 3K-year-old ritual survived in the central Mexico? [10/12/2008]
Tahitian Vanilla Originated In Maya Forests, Says Botanist [08/24/2008]
Olmeca Waterproofing Technology Involved Tar [08/17/2008]
Portal to mythical Mayan underworld found [08/15/2008]
Analysis of Rare Textiles From Honduras Ruins Suggests Mayans Produced Fine Fabrics [04/16/2008]
Mayan Apocalypse, 2012 [04/15/2008]
"Cracking the Maya Code" [04/05/2008]
Centuries-old Maya Blue mystery finally solved [02/26/2008]
Satellites Spot Lost Guatamala Mayan Temples [02/20/2008]
Maya Mask Splendor Enhanced With Sparkling Mica ScienceDaily [01/26/2008]
Ancient Maya sacrificed boys not virgin girls: study [01/23/2008]
1500-Year-Old Mayan Paint Job Peeled Back [01/22/2008]
Ancient Yucatán Soils Point to Maya Market, and Market Economy [01/10/2008]
Mayan calender hints at apocalypse, set for 2012 [12/22/2007]
Muons Meet the Maya [12/09/2007]
Muons Meet Maya [12/08/2007]
Ancient Mayan Marketplace Discovered [12/05/2007]
Rare Maya "Death Vase" Discovered [12/04/2007]
Trip To A Sacred Site [11/30/2007]
Maya Rituals Caused Ancient Decline in Big Game [11/20/2007]
Pre-Mayan cave paintings found in Mexico [11/17/2007]
Aventura - Ancient Maya City Discovered On Modern Papaya Farm In Corozal [06/02/2007]
Colgate Anthropologist Discovers Ancient Tomb In Honduras [05/30/2007]
Longest underground river found [03/02/2007]
Climate change killed golden civilisations [01/06/2007]
Collapse Of Civilisations Linked To MonsoonChanges [01/04/2007]
Ancient Canoe Found On Belize Research Dig [10/10/2006]
Mayan Ruins Said Center Of Mysterious Civilization [09/09/2006]
Exhibition highlights Jades of Belize [09/07/2006]
Maya civilization collapsed upon learning kings weren't gods [08/26/2006]
14 Indians, including kids, flogged in "Maya punishment" [08/22/2006]
Climate And The Collapse Of Maya Civilization [08/11/2006]
An interpreter of Maya culture [ Harri Kettunen ] [06/15/2006]
On Ancient Walls, a New Maya Epoch [05/16/2006]
Archeologists discover Maya tomb, defy looters - El Peru Waka king [05/03/2006]
Second Royal Tomb Discovered at Waka' (Site Q) [05/01/2006]
Mayan Underworld Proves Researchers' Dream [03/20/2006]
NASA, UNH Scientists Uncover Lost Maya Ruins - From Space [02/15/2006]
How long have the Scientists Known? [02/03/2006]
Earliest known Mayan writing found in Guatemala [01/06/2006]
Oldest Maya Mural Uncovered in Guatemala [12/13/2005]
Jungle Discovery Opens New Chapter In Maya History [12/05/2005]
Mass Grave Yields Mayan Secrets (Cancuen - More) [11/21/2005]
Mass Graves Reveal Massacre of Maya Royalty [11/20/2005]
A 1,200-Year-Old Murder Mystery in Guatemala [11/17/2005]
Q Marks the Spot: Recent find fingers long-sought Maya city [10/09/2005]
Vanished, Under Force of Time and an Inconstant Earth [09/06/2005]
Archaeologists make major discovery... underwater(Belize; paddle find leads to Mayan 'white gold') [07/11/2005]
Mayan Crypt Reveals Power of Women [06/10/2005]
Archaeologist Discovers Ancient Mayan Wood Architecture [05/13/2005]
Ancient Maya Entrepreneurs Made Salt, Study Finds [04/05/2005]
Experts Uncover Ancient Mayan Remains [03/15/2005]
Evidence May Back Human Sacrifice Claims [01/23/2005]
Mystery Of 'Chirping' Pyramid Decoded [12/17/2004]
Sacrificial Burial Deepens Mystery At Teotihuacan, But Confirms The City's Militarism (More) [12/03/2004]
Mayan Queen's Tomb Found In Rain Forest [05/06/2004]
Under suspicion: Hub mosque leader tied to radical groups [10/29/2003]
Tigers Put Their Spin On Mayan Culture [10/13/2003]
Area Professor Breaks New Ground On Maya [09/28/2003]
How Weather Brought Down Mayan Empire [01/12/2003]
Professor Says Mayan Calendar Does Not Portend Earth's Doom (2012AD) [01/01/2003]
Roots of Mesoamerican Writing [12/07/2002]
The Monolith of Pokotia (Sumerian Language etched on Ancient Mesopotamian Items)! [10/19/2002]
Tomb with three bodies found in abandoned city of Teotihuacan [09/30/2002]
Mayan texts reveal superpower wars [09/19/2002]
Who Really Discovered America? [07/14/2002]
A Mother Lode Of Jade Solves Maya Mystery [05/24/2002]
Archaeologists Find Mayan 'Masterpiece' In Guatemala [03/14/2002]

You goad 16 Maya and what do you get?
A million years older and pyramids of debt..

You’re still sore about those dessicant packs.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/1377872/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3944629/posts

They are still there....................

Yeah, they’re building a pyramid next door. Round the clock. Chip, chip, chip, boom, crack. What a pain in the butt.

If they had a population of ten million, there should be a lot of graves and tombs...........

Yep, and that doesn’t count for what was traded from other sources all over SA. As you know they had trade networks from North America to the tip of SA.

Same goes for the Romans. And the Vikings. Should be a lot of graves. Apart from their frequent use of cremation.

Wow, I was trying to find these, and found more rejects as well. 😒

NOAA and partners explore the hidden world of the maritime Maya [05/24/2011]
Ancient wooden Mayan canoe unearthed almost intact in Mexico [10/30/2021]
Ancient Canoe Found On Belize Research Dig [10/10/2006]

Not necessarily. Many battlefields were left for Mother Nature’s helpers to clean up.Same if disease wiped out a group. No graves and eventually evidence decays.

Yes, exactly. Considering the length of time humans are agreed to have been in the Americas (and it’s probably a lot longer than that), the dearth of Precolumbian remains illustrates your point.

The other practice (found among some Plains tribes, and in Asia among Zoroastrians) is excarnation, which is, basically, feeding the birds. Whatever is left of after defleshing and rotting turns to dust due to exposure to the elements.

Has any research ever identified when and why the Mayan civilization collapsed.

The 100 percent natural climate cycle, with some assistance from the general sociopathy we humans are heir to.