Archaeologists discover the hidden Mayan city of Valeriana in the Mexican Yucatán!

Archaeologists have discovered a Mayan city called Valeriana on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Located in the east-central part of Campeche, this ancient site contains more than 6,600 structures, including temple pyramids and a ball court, according to recent research. The study used Lidar technology, which uses laser pulses to map surfaces, to identify these hidden structures. This finding highlights how lidar reveals previously unknown locations buried beneath modern landscapes.

Thousands of structures embedded in modern terrain

The lidar map of Valeriana shows that it was a dense urban area typical of the Mayan Classic period, approximately between 250 and 900 AD. The city has several enclosed squares, a wide dike and residential terraces on the surrounding hills. The research shows that Valeriana was likely a political or economic center, given its layout and construction. These buildings are located near today’s highways and agricultural lands and demonstrate how ancient and modern landscapes coexist in this area.

Using existing data to overcome cost barriers

The research team led by archaeologist Luke Auld-Thomas of Northern Arizona University, took an innovative approach to this discovery by using pre-existing lidar data originally collected for ecological and forestry studies. This allowed the researchers to avoid the high costs often associated with conducting special lidar surveys for archaeological sites. By analyzing data from previously conducted surveys, they found a site where Mayan structures had not previously been searched for.

Future plans for on-site verification

The discovery of Valeriana is the first of its kind in this region of Campeche and extends the known boundaries of the Mayan civilization. Archaeologists plan to conduct on-site investigations to confirm the lidar findings and further document the structures. Experts say such discoveries add valuable context to the understanding of ancient urban planning and population distribution, creating a broader picture of the Mayan civilization in Central America.