Watch: Hidden Mayan City with Plazas and Buildings Discovered at Last

A Mayan city, hidden beneath the Mexican jungle, has been accidentally unearthed, revealing a sprawling urban complex similar in size to Edinburgh, Scotland. This city, located in Campeche, is filled with pyramids, sports courts, connected districts, and amphitheaters.

The city, named Valeriana after a nearby lagoon, was discovered using Lidar, a radar-based technology that detects structures under dense vegetation. PhD student Luke Auld-Thomas from Tulane University stumbled upon this find after coming across a Mexican environmental radar survey.

Processing the Lidar data with archaeological techniques, he revealed a city that might have supported 30,000 to 50,000 residents at its peak between 750 and 850 AD. This discovery positions Valeriana as one of the largest Mayan sites in ancient Latin America, second only to Calakmul.

Historically, tropical regions have been dismissed as inhospitable for thriving civilizations. However, co-author of the study, Professor Marcello Canuto, suggests this discovery challenges that view, showing the area once hosted a flourishing population with a complex cultural life. Although the reasons for its abandonment remain uncertain, climate change might have played a role.

Located just 15 minutes from a major road near Xhipul, the city is “hidden in plain sight.” Local knowledge hinted at ancient ruins beneath the earth mounds, but this is the first time the site has been mapped. The team explored three locations within the jungle, uncovering 6,764 buildings of varying sizes, spread over 16.6 square kilometers.

Two major centers, about 2 km apart, featured significant buildings surrounded by homes and causeways. The city also held temple pyramids with Mayan treasures like jade masks and ancient ball courts where locals once played ceremonial games.