Archaeologists Stumble Upon Ancient Maya City in the Mexican Jungle
The ruins of ancient Maya cities like Chichén Itzá and Uxmal have become popular tourist destinations in Mexico thanks to their signature pyramid structures and deep ties to pre-Columbian history in the Americas. Now, researchers from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have just made a new discovery that suggests the existence of an entire city deep in the jungle of the Balamkú ecological reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula.
Lead archaeologist Ivan Šprajc spoke about the discovery in a statement, which was found with the help of LIDAR (light detection and ranging). The team named the site Ocomtún—"stone column" in Yucatec Mayan—after the many columns found there.
And while the ruins resemble finds at other ancient Maya sites, it also contains some distinct features never seen in other Maya civilizations.
"The biggest surprise was that the site is located on a 'peninsula' of elevated terrain surrounded by extensive wetlands," Šprajc explained. "Its monumental nucleus covers more than 50 hectares and has various large buildings, including several pyramidal structures more than 15 meters high."
#Imperdible: Un equipo de investigadores, dirigido por el arqueólogo Ivan Ṡprajc, localizó un sitio monumental dentro de la reserva ecológica Balamkú, al sur de esta entidad, al que han nombrado Ocomtún (“columna de piedra”, en maya yucateco). #boletin: https://t.co/2N4EeKSYbo
— INAHmx (@INAHmx) June 20, 2023
Finding the stone constructions has given a closer look into what life in this place was like over a millennium ago, including how the Maya played sports.
"Between the two main plazas there is a complex made up of various low and elongated structures, arranged almost in concentric circles," Šprajc noted. "It also includes a ball game court."
He went on to detail how the team was able to assign a time period, based on when the area was likely thriving.
"The site probably functioned as an important regional center during the [Maya] Classic period (250-1000 A.D.)," Šprajc continued. "The most common ceramic types that we collected on the surface and in some test pits are from the Late Classic period (600-800 A.D.); however, the analysis of samples of this material will offer us more reliable data on the sequences of occupation."
It's unclear whether there were any human remains buried at the site. But if that's the case, it might be in all of our best interests to leave them undisturbed.
