Ancient Mayan City Discovered by Accident

A PhD student from the United States has re-discovered an ancient Mayan city, centuries after its disappearance. Valeriana, named after a nearby lagoon was uncovered using Lidar technology, a remote sensing technology that is often used in surveying for by scientists for ecology or civil engineering.

The discovery revealed an extensive network of structures including sports fields, amphitheatres, causeways and two major plazas housing temple pyramids. Current estimates suggest that the total number of buildings could sum to as many as 7000 buildings of varying sizes covering a site around the size of Edinburgh.

Luke Auld-Thomas, the student responsible for the unearthing, used Lidar surveying information previously, developed by a Mexican organisation and conducted in 2013, with the aim of discovering more about the Mayan world from an anthropological standpoint. The data was processed using techniques typically used by archaeologists and the data unveiled a city of around 30-50,000 people, which is thought to have reached its peak between 750-850AD. 

The site lies in Campeche in south-eastern Mexico, an area well known for its Mayan ruins as although tourism rates don’t reach that of Yucatan and Quitana Roo it has become a well-established destination to visit the Calakmul ruins, the densest site of Mayan structural ruins in ancient Latin America, with Valeriana coming in second and being situated only 100km from the site.

Archaeologists suggest that there is hope of more discoveries, with Lidar technology revolutionising the discovery and excavation of ancient sites, especially in densely forested areas like the Tropics. The technology provides a stark contrast from the days of using simple tools to evaluate ground depth, although it comes at a price and is seldom used unless there is strong evidence of successful outcome. Furthermore, the reality remains that there is more to discover than archaeologists could ever hope to fully discover.

Nobody is sure as to why the city was abandoned in the first place, however the dense structure of the city could suggest that with changing climates and droughts, that very little flexibility was left for citizens and many were forced out of the area. Additionally, many of the old Mayan sites weren’t preserved after the eradication of the Maya city states upon the arrival of Spanish invaders in Central America during the 16th century.

The discovery continues to confirm that the civilisations in the Tropics and throughout Latin America were rich and home to complex cultures and structures, an idea which is often overlooked in the Western world and overlooked in favour of the Greek and Roman ancient civilisations. It is hoped that Lidar and other technologies will be able to provide a window into the past and tell us more about the differences between ancient and modern day cities, providing a new perspective on urban living.