PhD Student Accidentally Discovers Lost Maya City in Mexican Jungle

In a groundbreaking find, a PhD student from Tulane University has uncovered a previously unknown Maya city, dubbed Valeriana, deep within the jungles of Campeche, Mexico. This significant discovery, made using advanced Lidar technology, sheds new light on the extent and complexity of ancient urbanism in the Maya Lowlands.

The discovery was largely serendipitous. Luke Auld-Thomas, the student behind the find, was perusing environmental Lidar data online when he stumbled upon a dataset that had not been analyzed for archaeological purposes. Intrigued, he processed the data using techniques common in archaeology, revealing an extensive urban landscape that may have housed between 30,000 to 50,000 people at its peak during the Late Classic period, around 750 to 850 AD.

The Lidar survey uncovered impressive structures, including pyramids, sports fields, and causeways connecting different districts. The sheer density of Valeriana suggests it is second only to Calakmul, one of the largest and most renowned Maya sites.

According to Auld-Thomas and co-author Professor Marcello Canuto, the find challenges the prevailing narrative that tropical regions were uninhabitable or devoid of sophisticated civilizations. Instead, it illustrates that the Maya region was home to rich and complex societies, capable of significant urban development.

Valeriana's features include two major urban centers, connected by causeways and residential areas. The discovery also revealed plazas with temple pyramids, a ball court, and evidence of a reservoir, indicating the sophisticated water management practices of the Maya.

While the exact reasons for the city's eventual decline remain unclear, researchers suspect that climate change, alongside warfare and the Spanish conquest, played crucial roles in the collapse of Maya urban centers.

The implications of this discovery are profound. It not only redefines our understanding of Maya civilization but also highlights the potential for more hidden cities waiting to be uncovered. As Lidar technology continues to revolutionize archaeological research, Auld-Thomas believes many more sites could be discovered, further challenging assumptions about ancient urban life in the tropics.

In the words of Professor Elizabeth Graham from University College London, this research supports the notion that ancient Maya populations were far more interconnected and urbanized than previously thought. The landscape, often perceived as wild and uninhabited, is instead rich with history, waiting to