Archaeologists in Mexicohave made a significant discovery in the dense jungle of theYucatan Peninsula, uncovering the remains of anancientMayacity.
TheNational Institute for Anthropology and HISTORY (INAH) inMexicoled the expedition to Ocomtn.
The research team usedairborne laser scanningto identifypre-Hispanic structures throughout the region.
Named Ocomtun,meaning “stone column” in the Yucatec Maya language,this newly discovered city isbelieved to have been a prominent centre in the central lowland region of the Yucatan Peninsula between 250 and 1000 AD.
It also provides invaluable insights into theadvanced societal and religious practices of the Maya civilization, known for itssophisticated mathematical calendars.
The Maya are an indigenous people of Mexico and Central America. Originating in the Yucatn, they rose to prominence around A.D. 250 inpresent-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras.
Therise of the Maya began about 250 CE, and what is known to archaeologists as the Classic Period of Mayan culture lasted until about 900 CE.