Washington Post today carried this more elaborate description of recent discoveries concerning the Mayan civilization:

Archaeologists working in a remote stretch of Guatemala's northeastern Peten wilderness said yesterday they have unearthed evidence that the ancient Maya may have developed sophisticated rituals and institutions hundreds of years earlier than previously thought.

New satellite imaging, more stable governments, and the increased availability of helicopters have all combined to discover and explore these ancient sites that have sat hidden by jungle for hundreds, even thousands of years.