The Lost City of Gold - Honduras

Montana Smith

Active member
Has Lost City Of Gold Been Uncovered?

12:57pm UK, Thursday 16 May 2013

Ruins including roads and building foundations have been mapped out in an area of Honduras renowned for a legendary City of Gold.

Researchers believe they may have discovered an ancient city deep in the Honduran rainforest, which could be a legendary metropolis known as the City of Gold.

A 3D mapping technique called lidar has shown what appear to be ruins, including roads and building foundations, in the Mosquitia region.

It is in an area believed by some to be home to The White City, which according to legend is a now-buried metropolis full of gold.

The Conquistadors searched for it in the 1500s, and throughout the 1900s archaeologists documented mounds and other signs of ancient civilization in the region. However, so far the existence of the city has not been confirmed.

In the latest study, slow-flying planes travelled over the site, sending constant laser pulses towards the ground.

It helped to map out the topography below the thick forest canopy.

"We use lidar to pinpoint where human structures are by looking for linear shapes and rectangles," Colorado State University researcher Stephen Leisz said, "nature doesn't work in straight lines."

The archaeologists plan to visit the area later this year to investigate the features more closely.


http://news.sky.com/story/1091719/has-lost-city-of-gold-been-uncovered

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(The Mosquito Coast!)
 
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Le Saboteur

Active member
Douglas Preston (Relic, Reliquary, Riptide, etc.) had the privilege of tagging along on the expedition, and penned his thoughts for The New Yorker. Now that august publication's exclusitivity has lapsed, he's shared the article with his fans.

The El Dorado Machine

I've heard of the story before, but this has certainly been an interesting development. Ties in with these two threads as well -- The New Age of Exploration & Archeology from the Air.

Setting aside anthropological and literary seasons aside for a moment; LIDAR is fascinating bit of kit. The fine folk at the American Geophysical Union have some interesting things to read for those who are so inclined.
 
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