Archaeologists Discover Ancient Maya City in Guatemala
Recently, archaeologists in Guatemala unearthed the remains of a Maya city that dates back nearly 3,000 years. The discovery includes pyramids and monuments that indicate the city’s significance as a vital ceremonial site. The Maya civilization flourished between 2000 BCE and 900 CE in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The city, known as “Los Abuelos” or “The Grandparents,” was located approximately 21 kilometers from the archaeological site of Uaxactun in Guatemala’s northern Peten department. It dates back to the “Middle Preclassic” period from about 800 to 500 BCE, making it one of the oldest and most important ceremonial centers of the Maya civilization in the jungle region of Peten near the Mexican border.
The city features remarkable architectural planning with pyramids and monuments that showcase unique iconography from the region. It derives its name from two anthropomorphic sculptures of an ancestral couple, believed to be linked to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship.
Unique Discoveries
Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists discovered the city, covering an area of about 16 square kilometers, in previously unexplored areas of the Uaxactun park. They also found a 33-meter-high pyramid with murals from the Preclassic period and a unique canal system nearby.
The discovery of this ancient city and its unique features has provided new insights into the ceremonial and socio-political organization of pre-Hispanic Peten. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the interconnectedness of ancient Mesoamerican cultures.
In a related discovery, archaeologists found a 1,000-year-old altar from Mexico’s Teotihuacan culture at Tikal, further highlighting the ties between different pre-Hispanic civilizations. Tikal, located approximately 23 kilometers from Uaxactun, is one of Guatemala’s main archaeological sites and a popular tourist destination.
© Agence France-Presse
