Valeriana, ancient Maya city in the center of Campeche

Recent research has demonstrated the existence of ancient Mayan settlements that are buried in the state of Campeche, Mexico. The discovery, based on data collected in 2013, shows thousands of structures and even a city that archaeologists have named Valeriana and opens new questions about the Maya civilization. Researchers have managed to create a map of the ancient city through LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, a technique that is used to measure distances using laser rays.

Study, published in journal ancient times Luke Auld-Thomas, by an international team of archaeologists from Tulane University in the United States. Using data from a 2013 project conducted in Campeche, researchers managed to map in detail an area of ​​approximately 122 square kilometers in Campeche’s central highlands, and identified more than 6,700 pre-Hispanic structures.

an unknown mayan city

Among the most important discoveries is the city of Valeriana, named after the nearby lagoon. The city has typical features of a political center of the Classical period (250–900 AD), such as pyramidal temples, plazas, roads connecting different areas, a ball court, and structures for water management. Valeriana covers approximately 16.6 square kilometers and extends to two main centers that are separated by two kilometres, and are connected by a large network of houses and roads.

According to the BBC, the discovery suggests that Valeriana may have been home to between 30,000 and 50,000 inhabitants at its peak. Additionally, it is located only a 15-minute walk from the main road near Expugil, indicating that these structures were hidden in plain sight for centuries.

densely populated landscape

Analysis of LiDar data revealed a density of 55.3 structures per square kilometer, a figure higher than records for comparable areas in Guatemala and Belize. The researchers found variation in the density of settlements, ranging from rural areas with little occupation to urban areas with large expanses and architectural complexity.

Evidence suggests that Maya cities in Campeche were connected by a network of rural settlements and agricultural fields. Terraces and walls related to agricultural activities were discovered, evidence of intensive land use and a complex infrastructure. This would allow large populations to survive by optimizing the environment for crops and water management.

These findings offer new perspectives on the social and economic organization of the Maya civilization. The high density of settlements and the presence of complex urban and agricultural infrastructure suggest a civilization that was far more connected to and adapted to its environment than previously thought. Furthermore, it raises new doubts and calls into question things that were taken for granted, such as the idea that the Maya people lived in villages isolated from each other.

A discovery that was not accidental

The 2013 project was an initiative focused on carbon emissions monitoring and forest conservation. Initially, LiDar data was collected to map vegetation density and its carbon sequestration capacity. However, archaeologists, who would not have been able to map such a large area without prior clues, used this data to analyze what they considered an unknown area. Although the original objective was not to discover Maya ruins, the team knew there was a high probability of discovery, what they did not imagine was the magnitude of what they ultimately discovered.

Understanding Campeche through Archeology

Despite progress, challenges remain in fully understanding the social structure and chronology of the discovered settlements. LiDar does not allow us to determine the exact age of structures, so excavation and field analysis are required to obtain accurate data. Additionally, it is possible that some of the structures identified did not have a residential function but were instead related to other activities, which could affect population estimates.

Many locations in Campeche have still not been investigated by archaeologists, and the discovery of these settlements is proof that new technologies can help uncover secrets of the past that were not even thought of.