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Descubren enorme ciudad maya infographic
El gráfico ubica y describe características del la ciudad maya de Valeriana.
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ARQUEOLOGÍA

Decubren ciudad maya perdida en la selva tropical de México

By Jordi Bou

October 29, 2024 - Un equipo de investigadores halló una ciudad maya perdida, oculta durante siglos bajo el follaje de una selva tropical en México, usando datos de LiDAR – tipo de escaneo láser que mapea terreno cubierto por vegetación.

The city, named Valeriana after a nearby lagoon, contains up to 6,674 structures, including pyramids like the ones at Chichén Itzá and Tikal, according to a study published in the journal Antiquity.

The researchers used previously created lidar (light detection and ranging) maps, which are created by shooting laser pulses at the ground, to reveal the potentially 1,500-year-old site.

The city, which may have been home to 30-50,000 people at its peak in 750-850 AD, shows “all the hallmarks of a Classic Maya political capital,” including multiple enclosed plazas connected by a broad causeway, temple pyramids, and a ball court, the researchers noted.

Archaeologists believe Valeriana is second in density only to Calakmul, thought to be the largest Maya site in ancient Latin America.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 29/10/2024; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Luke Auld-Thomas et al/Cambridge University Press
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