It has been difficult for archaeologists to accurately estimate the ancient Maya population because so many of their settlements still remain undiscovered and obscured beneath the jungle canopy of the Yucatán Peninsula. According to a statement released by Tulane University, however, a recent study conducted by researchers concluded that the Maya civilization was probably much more populous than previously thought. Relying on new lidar data compiled across 36,700 square miles of the Maya Lowlands -- an area that comprises parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize -- the team suggests that during the Late Classic period (a.d. 600–900), the Maya population...