Lidar technology, commonly referred to as "lasers from the sky," has just been used by scientists to find an ancient Mayan city hidden deep within the jungle. On the western side of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the Balmaco Ecological Reserve, is where this city is located. Following a ground study, a number of intricate structures were found in a region that had previously eluded experts. The discovery of these structures supports the idea that the city was an important player in the area.

How was it found?

This city has been around for more than a thousand years, yet the contemporary world has yet to find it. Airborne laser scanning (lidar) made it possible to rediscover it. This device for measuring distance illuminates targets with laser beams and clocks the amount of time it takes for the light to return to the receiver. With the use of this equipment, researchers were able to see through the forest canopy and locate the city, which was 60 kilometers away and was concealed deep within the jungle. The village was established by a study group under the direction of Ivan Špraić, a Slovenian professor of archaeology who has been working on the Yucatán Peninsula since 1996. The team was able to find the elaborate buildings, plazas, and even ball courts of the old Mayan metropolis using data from the aerial scan.

This city stands out for its collection of shaped structures, each of which is over 15 meters tall and is situated on a high-ground peninsula surrounded by significant wetlands. The site, which covers 500 dunams, consists of three squares that are surrounded by grand structures and patio balconies. This heavily forested reserve in the state of Campeche is being studied by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Mexico, which notes that "between the two central squares, there is a complex comprised of various low and elongated buildings arranged almost in concentric circles."

Špraić continues, "There is also a ball game court." In addition, a route links the northwest, where the majority of the structures are located, to the southeast complex.

It’s name is Ocomtún

The region is distinguished by a pyramid that rises 25 meters above the surrounding terrain. This recently found city has been given the Mayan name "Ocomtún," which translates to "Pillar of Stone" in English. The cylindrical columns that were discovered in the settlement are thought to have served as entrances to higher rooms in the structures. This discovery is similar to earlier ones of extinct civilizations, like those made in Bolivia's Amazonian forests where laser technology unveiled enigmatic pyramids and ball courts.

The research team discovered further buildings while examining the area that led to the La Rigonia River. These structures consist of central altars, monolithic columns, and staircases. The crew also found an area that was utilized as a court for ball games and other areas that might have been markets or locations for local rituals. According to Špraić, "the site served as an important regional center, probably during the Classic period (250-1000 AD)." The majority of the ceramics discovered on the surface and in test pits are from the Late Classic era (600–800 AD). More thorough analysis of these samples will, however, yield more accurate information about the occupation sequences.

The temples in the middle of the patios and plazas are thought to be proof that the Oakhamton site changed around 1000 AD. "We see a reflection of ideological changes and population dynamics during times of crisis," argues Špraić. Ultimately, this resulted in the dissolution of the intricate socio-political structure and a considerable fall in the population in the central Maya lowlands.

It will need more time and money to properly uncover Ocomtn's mysteries. The researchers are confident in one thing, though: they will return to the Yucatan when the dry season starts in March to look for additional hints regarding a vanished civilization that is still present despite being hidden. "Many people may argue that with laser technology, the romance of archaeological discovery is lost, but I disagree," says Prof. Špraić. "There is still a sense of romance. It's hot, and we're hacking through the jungle with machetes, encountering water problems. Then, suddenly, a massive pyramid or an inscribed stele appears right before your eyes. At that moment, all those difficulties fade away."