"Nearly 3,000-Year-Old City"… New Traces of Maya Civilization Discovered in Guatemala

Three Ancient Maya Sites Discovered in Northern Guatemala
Estimated to Be Nearly 3,000 Years Old
Artifacts Suggest Ritual and Ancestor Worship Practices

Traces of an ancient city have been discovered in northern Guatemala, near the borders with Mexico and Belize. These ruins are estimated to be up to nearly 3,000 years old.

Maya sculpture believed to be inspired by a human face Photo by Yonhap News

On May 30 (local time), the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports announced that a joint research team led by Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, had identified three new Maya civilization sites.

This excavation was carried out as part of the Uaxactun Archaeological Project, which is ongoing in Peten Department. The sites, named 'Los Abuelos,' 'Petnal,' and 'Cambrajal,' cover a total area of approximately 16 square kilometers.

Artifacts believed to have been used by the Maya for religious practices were unearthed at these locations. In particular, at Los Abuelos?which means 'grandparents' in Spanish?researchers found a sculpture believed to be inspired by a human face, as well as various murals. Authorities believe these findings may be related to ancestor worship rituals.

A 33-meter-high pyramid with a unique canal system was also reported to be located in the middle of the jungle. At the top of the pyramid, two additional rooms decorated with murals featuring various symbolic motifs were discovered.

Authorities described the newly discovered sites as "archaeological treasures," emphasizing that they are even more significant because they are previously unknown and have been scarcely explored.

The local daily La Prensa Libre reported that the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture suggested the newly discovered sites were very important places for Maya rituals and announced plans for active excavation in the region.

Earlier, in April, another archaeological team discovered a 1,700-year-old altar in Tikal, a Maya civilization city and UNESCO World Heritage site in Guatemala, which closely resembles the Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico.

AFP reported that, considering Tikal and Teotihuacan are 1,300 kilometers apart, this could become important evidence of a historical connection between the two cultures.

The Maya civilization flourished in what is now southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, northern El Salvador, and the Yucatan Peninsula. It began around 2000 BCE and lasted until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.