In Mexico, an ancient Mayan city discovered in the middle of the jungle
The remains of an ancient Mayan city were discovered in Mexico, mid-June 2023.
A very ancient Mayan city, hitherto unknown, has been discovered in Mexico. Archaeologists found the remains in the jungle in the state of Campeche, not far from the Yucatán region.
An ancient discovery. An ancient Mayan city previously unknown has been discovered in the jungle in Mexico , informed the world press, relayed by Courrier international , Wednesday June 21, 2023. It is located within the natural reserve of Balamkú, in the state of Campeche, not far from the Yucatán tourist region .
The country's anthropology body, INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) , announced the find, saying it was likely an important center more than a thousand years ago. . The explorations had been very complicated so far, the area being extremely dense in vegetation and difficult to access, in a protected reserve and without trace of modern civilization.
#Not to be missed: A team of researchers, led by archaeologist Ivan Ṡprajc, located a monumental site within the Balamkú ecological reserve, to the south of this entity, which they have named Ocomtún (“stone column”, in Yucatec Mayan).
Ancient Mayan city discovered in Campeche; They name it Ocomtún, “stone column”. Photo Archaeologist Ivan Ṡprajc.
An important website
“More than a thousand years ago, the forest began to devour a huge complex of 50 hectares. Hundreds of years later, a group of Mexican archaeologists located in the heart of the thick vegetation, 60 kilometers from any modern civilization, an influential Mayan city, which they named Ocomtún,” says El Heraldo de México . . The name means "stone column" in the Yucatec Maya language. It was given in reference to the multiple cylindrical stone columns found on site.
Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc, a specialist in Mayan civilization, led the team of Mexican colleagues behind the discovery. He explained, according to the Government of Mexico website on Tuesday, June 20, that the cylindrical stone columns were probably entrances to rooms in the upper parts of the buildings.
They discover Ocomtún, an ancient Mayan city hidden in the jungle of Campeche
Structures over 15 m high
El Heraldo de México describes “buildings of large dimensions, including several pyramidal structures over 15 meters high” . Found because of its size, the site "must have been a center of regional importance during the so-called classical period (ranging from 250 to 1000 AD)" .
The BBC and France Inter explain that a more precise dating has been possible thanks to pottery found on the site, showing that it would have been inhabited between 600 and 800 AD. According to Ivan Šprajc, given materials extracted from the buildings, the city seems to have undergone changes during its history, in particular between 800 and 1000 AD, before following the decline of the Maya civilization of the lowlands in the 10th century – corresponding to ideological and demographic changes that led to the collapse of Maya societies in this region.
The archaeologist also indicated that the city had a central area located on elevated ground surrounded by large wetlands. The research team also found, in an area near the La Rigueña River, ancient central altars probably dedicated to religious rituals, as well as supposed ball courts. An element a priori characteristic of widespread pre-Hispanic games, note Futura Sciences and CNews . But more research will be needed to shed light on these points, say the researchers.
A circle-shaped Maya scoreboard used for a ball game, found at the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá shown in a press conference, in Merida, Mexico, April 11, 2023.
Laser technology used
But then how was the site located? Thanks to a project to explore an "area of 3,000 km 2 of uninhabited jungle", continues the BBC . An “airborne laser scan performed” upstream would have identified “numerous concentrations of pre-Hispanic period structures” .
Specifically, it was airborne laser mapping technology (called Lidar) that was used by the University of Houston's National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping to confirm the location in March, INAH says . Locations by aerial images had been started in March.
Many recent discoveries
Like those of other ancient civilizations in Central and South America, such as the Aztecs (with Tenochtitlán, in Mexico) and the Incas (with Machu Picchu, in Peru) , the remains of the Mayas are numerous and fascinating. "The Maya are considered one of the great civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, renowned for their pyramidal temples and large stone buildings, which can be found in an area that today corresponds to southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize,” notes the BBC .
Despite the antiquity of these civilizations, the discoveries of vestiges of these continue , including in recent years. In late May 2022, an ancient Maya city had been discovered near Mérida, Mexico , during excavations at a construction site; archaeologists had unearthed pyramids, palaces and plazas dating to a period between the year 600 and 900 AD. Also in Mexico, in June 2020, an international team of scientists had found the oldest and a great Mayan site in history at Aguada Fénix , thanks to laser technology already.
Moreover, the technique of remote sensing by laser had already been decisive in the identification of 775 ancient Mayan settlements in the karst basin of Mirador-Calakmul (MCKB), reports Science & Vie , calling into question the notion of an early human occupation. scattered in this region during the "Preclassic" period.
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