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Mayan City Found with Lidar

image of Mayan City Found with Lidar

We still have a lot to discover about the pre-Columbian cultures that were partially swallowed by the jungle. Members of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) are already inspecting the ruins of a new Mayan city found hidden under the jungle.

From an article in Tech World by Arthur Morgan.

This new Mayan settlement has been baptized with the name of Ocomtun which in Mayan means “column”, according to the BBC.

The reason is that on the surface of the city, devoured by vegetation, practically the only things that can be seen are the columns of the elevated areas of the buildings as well as some steps which can be seen in the opening photo of the news.

A Mayan city from more than 1,000 years ago

This discovery has been possible thanks to the LiDAR of the University of Houston, used on an airplane.

Here you can see the image captured by the LiDARwhere the pyramid structureon the right:

The city is grouped in something more than 1 Kilometer of distance, as seen by the scale. It has been located in the Balamkú ecological reserve, in Campeche, Mexico.

Due to the pottery found in the surroundings, it is estimated that the city of ocomtun flourished between the 600s and 800s. Then something happened to cause it to be abandoned, and the jungle ended up hiding it.

The Mayan civilization It spread through Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico, leaving majestic settlements in its wake, such as Chichen Itza.

For the complete article on a new Mayan city found with lidar CLICK HERE.

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