Photo: Ivan Sprajc | INAH
A previously unknown Mayan city that was likely an important center more than 1,000 years ago has been discovered in the jungles of southern Mexico, says Mexico’s anthropology institute. The city, which INAH has named Ocomtun, includes large pyramid-like buildings, stone columns, three plazas with "imposing buildings" and other structures arranged in almost-concentric circles. Located in the Balamku ecological reserve on the Yucatan Peninsula, the city was discovered during a search of a largely unexplored stretch of jungle between March and June using aerial laser mapping (LiDAR) technology. The site has a core area, located on high ground surrounded by extensive wetlands, that includes several pyramid-like structures up to 15 meters high, said lead archaeologist Ivan Sprajc. The site probably declined around 800 to 1000 AD judging from materials extracted from buildings, he said.
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