Lost 3,000-year-old city of pyramids discovered by archaeologists in dense jungle
The city, known as Los Abuelos, is believed to be 'one of the most ancient and important ceremonial centres' of the Maya civilisation, and is located in the dense jungles of Guatemala near the Mexican border
Archaeologists have unearthed a 3,000-year-old city, complete with pyramids, believed to be "one of the most ancient and important ceremonial centers" of the Mayan civilization. The ceremonial center, known as Los Abuelos, was discovered in the dense jungles of Guatemala, near the Mexican border.
The city dates back to the middle of the Preclassic period (800-500 BC) and is situated roughly 13 miles from the renowned archaeological site of Uaxactun, in Guatemala's northern Peten region.
The Maya resided in Mesoamerica - encompassing present-day Mexico and parts of Central America - around 2,000 BC.
- Mom shoots child molester she 'found trying to rape her daughter in motel'
- CNN anchor rips into Elon Musk over 'drug induced bladder problems
Los Abuelos, which covers approximately six square miles, boasts "remarkable architectural planning" according to Guatemala's culture ministry. This includes pyramids, sacred sanctuaries, and monuments adorned with unique regional iconography.
The city, whose name translates to 'The Grandparents' in Spanish, derives its moniker from two human-like stone figures dating between 500 and 300 BC.
These figures are thought to represent an ancestral couple, underscoring the importance of ancestor worship in early Mayan rituals, reports the Express.
Among the city's notable structures is a 108-foot-high pyramid housing two preserved rooms adorned with murals depicting symbolic scenes. Additionally, archaeologists have uncovered an intricate palace featuring a 'unique canal system,' suggesting advanced water management practices.
DON'T MISS:
A team of Guatemalan and international archaeologists, backed by Comenius University in Slovakia, unearthed a groundbreaking discovery, as reported by GBNews.
Unveiling not just one but three sites, Petnal, Cambraya, and an additional location, the ministry announced this week: "The set of these three sites forms a previously unknown urban triangle.
"These findings allow us to rethink the understanding of the ceremonial and socio-political organisation of pre-Hispanic Peten."
April marked another momentous find in Peten, where an altar dating back a millennium from Mexico's venerable Teotihuacan culture was discovered at Tinkal, hinting at a possible cultural link between two distant ancient societies separated by roughly 1,300 kilometers.
