Lost Mayan city discovered in southern Mexico jungle – FBC News

(Source: Reuters)

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a massive lost Mayan city they call Valeriana, hidden deep in the southern jungle of Campeche; a sprawling, urban settlement filled with architectural wonders and agricultural infrastructure.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

The discovery of what appears to be a bustling urban landscape challenges current knowledge about the prevalence and density of ancient Mayan settlements.

Valeriana was discovered by chance thanks to Lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging technology, which uses lasers to map and analyze archaeological landscapes.

The dataset used for the study came from approximately 122 square kilometers (47 square miles) of high-quality airborne Lidar data collected in 2013 as part of a forest monitoring project called Alianza, managed by the Nature Conservancy in Mexico to reduce emissions from deforestation. and degradation.

KEY QUOTES

“We argue that the Alianza data show a range of ancient settlement densities comparable to those documented by field-focused archaeological surveys in the region, from nearly empty rural areas to dense urban areas.” Researchers in the study published by Cambridge University Press said:

“Valeriana’s discovery highlights the fact that there are still large gaps in our knowledge regarding the existence or non-existence of large areas in as yet uncharted areas of the Maya Lowlands.” added.

CONTEXT

Lidar technology has revealed a sprawling urban settlement filled with architectural wonders and agricultural infrastructure.

The history of the Classic period Maya civilization dates back to the period between 250 and 900 AD; During this period, it extended its rule to present-day southern Mexico and what is now Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

BY THE NUMBERS

Analysis of the archaeological site revealed a total settlement density of 55.3 structures per square kilometer. Researchers identified a total of 6,764 structures, indicating a crowded ancient city.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Researchers will conduct further quantitative analysis of archaeological features within the dataset and perform field validation of their remote analysis. The discovery serves as a stepping stone to understanding ancient Maya urbanization and settlement patterns.