Laser-sensor technology helps scientists discover remnants of an old Mayan city in southern Mexico

NEW ORLEANS — A ⁣potential‍ ancient Mayan city, hidden beneath the dense jungle of southern Mexico, has been discovered⁣ by archaeologists using advanced laser-sensing technology, according to ​an announcement made ​on Wednesday.

The city, which ⁤researchers have‌ named Valeriana after a nearby lagoon, is believed to have been as densely populated as⁢ the well-known pre-Hispanic city of Calakmul, located in the southern region of the Yucatan peninsula.

The study, which was published in the journal ‍Antiquity this‌ week, suggests that the areas between known Mayan sites, currently covered in thick jungle, may have ​once been heavily populated.

“Past research has indicated that a significant portion of the current state of Campeche was a landscape that was significantly altered ⁣by its ancient inhabitants,” stated Adriana Velázquez Morlet, from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History and a⁣ co-author of the report. “This study now reveals that a previously unknown region was in fact an urbanized landscape.”

The National Institute has reported that approximately 6,479 structures have been identified in LiDAR images covering an area ⁣of about 47⁢ square miles. This technique uses thousands of laser pulses sent from an aircraft to ‌map ⁣landscapes and detect variations in ‍topography that are not visible to the naked eye.

The images have revealed structures that include ⁤potential temple platforms, ceremonial ball courts, housing platforms, agricultural terraces and even what appears to be a dam. The institute has suggested that these structures may date back⁢ to between 250 and 900 A.D., although the settlement could have been established 100 years prior.

The discovery ‌was made by a group of researchers who used software to reanalyze a 2013 LIDAR survey that was initially conducted to measure deforestation. During⁣ this reanalysis, Luke Auld-Thomas, a graduate student⁤ at Tulane University at the time, noticed unusual formations in the jungle survey.

Marcello Canuto, a professor at Tulane and Auld-Thomas’s advisor, stated that the extensive data they have gathered will ‌”enable us⁤ to tell more comprehensive stories of the ancient Mayan people,” combining what is already known about their political and religious histories with new insights into‌ how these ancient civilizations were​ managed.

“We have always been able to discuss the ancient Maya, ​particularly in⁣ the lowland regions, due to their hieroglyphic texts and⁣ the fascinating records they⁢ left behind,” he said. “Now, we ‍can correlate this information⁣ with their settlements, populations, and the resources they⁢ were fighting over, ‍ruling over, and⁣ trading.”

Susan D. Gillespie, an anthropology professor at the University of Florida who was not involved in the study, noted that while LiDAR is a valuable tool,⁤ some of ‌the features ⁣identified would need to be verified ‍by researchers ‌on the ground.

“They acknowledge that small natural rock piles (locally known ⁢as chich) were ⁣likely misinterpreted as ​house mounds, as they are similar in size and shape. ‍As such, they understand that their feature counts⁢ are⁢ preliminary,” Gillespie wrote.

“The final point to always bear in mind is the contemporaneity of use ⁣of the mapped features,” Gillespie added. “LiDAR maps what’s on the surface, but not ⁢when it‍ was used. Therefore, a large region might be dense with ‍structures, but⁤ the size of an occupation at any one time cannot be determined with aerial survey data alone.”