Who found her? A group of scientists led by American anthropologists. They found an ancient city belonging to the Mayan civilization, previously unknown. The ancient Mayan city discovered was in the state of Campeche, southeastern Mexico. The magazine ‘Antiquity’ highlights it.
Data collected over 122 square kilometers was analyzed with the help of Lidar laser technology. The scientists detected a large city, which they called Valerian. It occupied about 16.6 square kilometers and had two centers, separated by about two kilometers.
Political capital
The largest of the Valeriana sectors has all the features of a political capital of the classic Mayan period. There are several squares linked together by a wide road, pyramids of worship. Also an area for playing ball and a reservoir, the researchers said. In the city there is an architectural complex characteristic of the towns that existed until the year 150 AD. Anthropologists found evidence of more than 6,700 pre-Hispanic structures.
“Our analysis not only revealed a region full of populations, but also a lot of variability.” This was highlighted by anthropologist Luke Auld-Thomas, from Northern Arizona University, in a statement. Three types of areas were found in the studied area. One rural with low population density, another peri-urban, and a large and widely populated city.
«We not only find rural areas and smaller settlements. We also found a large city with pyramids right next to the only road in the area. “It’s near a village where people have been actively farming among the ruins for years,” Auld-Thomas explained.
Much to discover
One of the areas that stands out for its density corresponds to a previously unknown massive complex. It is impossible to establish at this time how large or how urban the population associated with the site is.
“We have not found everything, and yes, there is much more to discover,” stressed the anthropologist. The ancient Mayan city discovered had urban areas. The rural population interacted with densely populated cities. Will there still be other cities hidden there under the undergrowth and forests?
