Researchers say LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) technology projected from above 800 square miles of jungle in Central America has revealed a remarkable discovery.

National Geographic reports: "In what’s being hailed as a 'major breakthrough' in Maya archaeology, researchers have identified the ruins of more than 60,000 houses, palaces, elevated highways, and other human-made features that have been hidden for centuries under the jungles of northern Guatemala."

The imagery suggests that an advanced civilization existed over 1,000 years ago that was more comparable than previously thought to sophisticated cultures such as ancient Greece or China. Some 10 to 15 million people are now estimated to have lived in this vast civilization during the Maya classic period (approximately A.D. 250–900).