Lost Maya city with temple pyramids and plazas discovered in Mexico
GuardianNOV 12 2024
A doctoral candidate at the Northern Arizona University has accidentally discovered a long-lost Mayan city — now named Valeriana by archaeologists — in Mexico. The city, now buried under the forest 50 sq. miles off Campeche, is estimated to have flourished between 750 and 850AD.A doctoral candidate at Northern Arizona University has accidentally discovered a long-lost Mayan city — now named Valeriana by archaeologists — in Mexico. The city, buried under the forest 50 sq. miles off Campeche, is estimated to have flourished between 750 and 850AD.
Anthropologist Luke Auld-Thomas stumbled onto the find when he revisited a 2013 survey done for a forest monitoring project using the LIDAR remote sensing technology to generate 3D images of the site. Researchers now suggest there may be many more such lost cities to be found.Anthropologist Luke Auld-Thomas stumbled upon the find when he revisited a 2013 survey conducted for a forest monitoring project using lidar (laser mapping) remote sensing technology to generate 3D images of the site. Researchers now suggest many more such lost cities may lie undiscovered.
LIDAR data showed tell-tale signs of a metropolis. Auld-Thomas reported that neither the government nor the scientific community knew about Valeriana, named after a nearby lagoon. Its rediscovery didn't need the use of conventional tools like machetes, binoculars, or spatulas.Auld-Thomas reported that neither the government nor the scientific community knew about Valeriana, named after a nearby lagoon. The use of laser technology, which discovered signs of a metropolis, meant the rediscovery didn't require the use of conventional physical tools.
Imagine peering through time using beams of light and strands of DNA — that's exactly how modern archaeologists are revolutionizing our understanding of Maya civilization. LIDARLidar technology has unveiled vast networks of ancient roads and cities hidden beneath the jungle canopy, completely transforming what we thought we knew about Maya transportation and urban planning. Meanwhile, DNA analysis is uncovering surprising secrets about their agricultural prowess, revealing previously unknown crops they cultivated. What once took researchers years to map on foot can now be accomplished in days, breathing new life into ancient stories and challenging long-held theories.
WhenPeering we peer beneath the surface of art and artifacts using modern technology, aremay weopen opening doors that were meant to stay closed?. Consider Van Gogh's hidden self-portrait, discovered through X-ray beneath another painting, —raised a revelation that raises thorny questions about artistic privacy beyond the grave. While technologies like X-ray imaging and LIDARLidar can unveil precious historical secrets, they also challenge our respect for the pasthistory's intended boundaries. When an artist deliberately conceals their work, or ancient cultures carefully seal their burial grounds, perhaps we should question whether our technological ability to uncover these secrets gives us the right to do so.