Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong
Hacker News
February 13, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Francisco Estrada-Belli’s childhood visit to Tikal, Guatemala, sparked a lifelong passion for uncovering the mysteries of the Maya civilization. Decades later, as an archaeologist, he is part of a team leveraging advanced technologies like DNA analysis, plant science, linguistics, and Lidar—a laser mapping tool—to rewrite our understanding of the ancient Maya. These innovations reveal that the classic-era Maya population in the region was up to 16 million, more than five times the previous estimate. This groundbreaking research challenges long-held beliefs about the civilization’s collapse and highlights its remarkable achievements.
The comparison between the Maya and ancient Rome underscores their sophistication, with both cultures developing complex systems and monumental architecture. While Rome’s ruins
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/13/2026