The remains of an ancient Mayan complex were found in northern Guatemala. Experts have identified shelters, pyramids and unique canal systems, which suggests that these communities are more interconnected than previously thought.
The complex was found in three locations in Los Abuelos, Petnal and Cambrayal, in part of the Uaxactún Regional Archaeological Project (PARU).
After a pair of sculptures were discovered on site, a city called Los Abuelos (grandparents) dates back to the prefabricated period in the middle (800-500 B.C.). Around six square miles, the site about 3,000 years old is considered one of the oldest and most important ritual centers in the area.
“The website proposes outstanding architectural plans,” Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement Thursday.
The two sculptures depict a couple of ancestors dating until 500 to 300 BC. The objects, and also newly discovered shelters, said the culture ministers, “may be related to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship.”
Additionally, in Petnal, east of Los Abuelos, experts discovered a 108-foot-tall pyramid containing the summits of two rooms. The room is decorated with pre-classical murals.
A canal system was also found in the Cambridge Palace about three miles from Los Abuelos.
Videos released by officials show efforts at these locations and restore artifacts in more detail.
Located in the jungle, the complex is not far from the Mexican border and about 13 miles from Uaxactun, one of the most famous archaeological sites in the north of the country.
Together, the sites indicate that the connection between the “previously unknown urban triangles” could help them better understand the sociopolitical and religious landscapes of Hispanic Petteren.
Developments near Tikal, including the latest discovery of the altar, tell the story of the vastness of the Mayan civilization.
Advances in the form of LiDAR (light detection and range) in laser technology have helped researchers find such sites in dense forests.
