Transformational changes are rare in archaeology and often are best recognized in hindsight (1). However, there are times when advances in technology are so far reaching that they serve as catalysts in transforming our understanding of both the past and the practice of archaeological research, thus triggering a scientific revolution as conceptualized by Thomas Kuhn (2). We believe that advances in the remote geospatial imaging of cultural landscapes, including ancient communities and their anthropogenic hinterlands, constitute such an archeological paradigm shift. Here we present newly acquired data from two recent archaeological projects in different parts of Mesoamerica showcasing the application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to ancient urban settlements. In both cases, the nearly 3D data are changing commonly held interpretations of societal development profoundly. The phenomenon described is not limited to archaeology; technical innovations have been noted as spawning advances in other areas of research, such as astrophysics (3). However, the magnitude of change enabled by the use of LiDAR technology is particularly apparent in the archaeology of Mesoamerica.