Tulane University to lead archaeological research in Costa Rica, Peru

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Tulane University will take a leading role in a $10 million global initiative to transform how archaeologists uncover ancient civilizations under dense tropical landscapes.

Tulane’s Middle American Research Institute will spearhead the initiative in Costa Rica and Peru. The aim is to help make high-resolution lidar (light detection and ranging) mapping more accessible in regions where archaeological research is hindered by dense vegetation.

Airborne lidar can reveal the contours of ancient buildings, roadways and settlements hidden under thick forest canopies. The initiative will span multiple continents, particularly in Central and South America.

In Costa Rica, Tulane will work with collaborators to survey over 1,000 kilometers across five major zones. These include the jade-working centers of Linea Vieja, the monumental site of Guayabo de Turrialba and the rainforest-covered gold settlements of the Osa Peninsula, along with the Rio San Juan corridor and Santa Rosa Peninsula.

In Peru, Tulane will map three key regions, the Ecuador-Peru borderlands, the Huallaga-Marañón river confluence and the Ucayali River basin near Pucallpa. These remote areas are believed to hold major insights into early lowland South American civilizations.

“The first surveys will take place in Costa Rica and the Peruvian Amazon in the next two years in collaboration with colleagues working in those countries,” said Tulane research professor and National Geographic explorer Francisco Estrada-Belli. “I am especially excited about mapping in the Amazon forest, where entire civilizations might be waiting to be discovered.”

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