Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology, Vol. 8, 2011, pp. 61-73. Copyright © 2011 by the Institute of Archaeology, NICH, Belize. 5 AIRBORNE LiDAR AT CARACOL, BELIZE AND THE INTERPRETATION OF ANCIENT MAYA SOCIETY AND LANDSCAPES Diane Z. Chase, Arlen F. Chase, Jaime J. Awe, John H. Walker, and John F. Weishampel The application of airborne LiDAR to the archaeology of Maya landscapes promises to change our perception of their civilization. Our current view of ancient Maya society has been conditioned by past investigations that, of necessity, have been limited in scope. Even with remote sensing, archaeological survey has been curtailed by karst topography and dense tree canopy – and archaeological excavation often constitutes only a small sample of what was actually present. Similarly, epigraphic analysis of texts are restricted; interpretations of the full range of Maya society are unlikely to be achieved through study of epigraphic texts alone as these records are generally focused on the one segment of society – the elite. With the recent application of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to penetrate the heavily forested canopy of Caracol, Belize, landscape archaeology has succeeded in illuminating the complexity and expansive nature of ancient Maya cities. Introduction While the ancient Maya of the Classic Period were in contact and interacted with each other, they did not constitute a uniform cultural expression. Although there was trade, visitation, and warfare among ancient Maya political units, a single social or political model cannot be used to characterize them. This is evident in the diverse archaeological forms that their settlements took relative to their landscapes. The size of ancient Maya sites and polities varied and, because of this, concomitant organizational requirements also differed. This paper focuses on one segment of the Classic Period spectrum of socio-political forms, looking at the large and populous site of Caracol, Belize. These reconstructions concerning the socio-political organization of this city are informed by analysis of hieroglyphic texts, settlement survey, excavations, and remote sensing. Each data source contributes significantly to overall interpretations. Together, these materials permit a broader and more in-depth understanding of the complexity involved in ancient landscape modification and in the organizational requirements necessary to support a Maya urban expression. The Archaeological and Hieroglyphic History of Caracol Caracol is located at an elevation of 500 meters in the Vaca Plateau of Belize. Situated in the karst foothills of the Maya Mountains this area receives over 2000 millimeters of rain per year. The site extends over approximately 177 square kilometers. However, settlement survey has been hindered by covering sub-tropical forest with a canopy height of approximately 25 meters. This contrast with what the landscape must have looked like in antiquity, when construction and agricultural terraces replaced the forest growth. Settlement and landscape archaeology have been grounded in survey and excavation, but sample size has been limited by vegetation that hides archaeological remains, requiring labor-intensive on-the- ground survey. Thus, any determination of settlement boundaries and/or the totality of landscape modifications have usually been presented as hypothesis and speculation. Because of the inherent difficulties in defining the full parameters of ancient settlement, the focus for most socio-political interpretation traditionally has reverted to the concentrations of monumental architecture that are found in the centers of most Maya sites. This monumental architecture produces tombs and specific building forms and plans that can be used for general comparative purposes. Importantly these same remains also usually occur in conjunction with hieroglyphic stone monuments. Because the archaeological record is so difficult to directly “read,” the