Medieval Mexican city "had as many buildings as Manhattan"

[Duncan Head]

Laser exploration of the Purépecha city of Angamuco in West Mexico, now "the biggest city that we know of right now in western Mexico during this period":

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/15/laser-scanning-reveals-lost-ancient-mexican-city-had-as-many-buildings-as-manhattan

[Mark G]

Presumably, their childhood superhero was some form of lizard man, skuttling under walls rather than spider web swinging between the buildings.

[Imperial Dave]

another big tick for LIDAR. It is such a useful tool and should speed up discovery and mapping of many ancient sites (known and unknown)

[Erpingham]

The problem with these studies is that the press assume all the buildings are contemporary.  Archaeologists know they are going to have to out spades and test this on the ground before they make extravagant claims (well, at least I hope they do).

[Patrick Waterson]

I think the assumption is that if it is visible it is on the top of the heap and therefore is contemporary.  Given that thriving city populations tend not to leave huge unoccupied tracts of earlier buildings this is perhaps a not unreasonable assumption.  At worst, it gives an idea of the city at its height as opposed to during its decline and at its demise.