A hidden Maya city that lay completely undisturbed for over a thousand years has been unearthed deep within the jungles of southern Mexico, in what experts are calling one of the most significant archaeological finds in recent memory.The site, named Minanbe, is located in a remote section of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the state of Campeche.
The name comes from a Yucatec Maya phrase meaning “there is no road,” reflecting the extraordinary difficulty the research team faced in reaching it, according to Artnews.
The discovery was made by a joint Mexican-Slovenian research team led by archaeologist Ivan Sprajc of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and represents the culmination of three decades of archaeological investigations across the Central Maya Lowlands, according to HeritageDaily.
What the team found
The site features a 43-foot-high pyramid temple, roughly the height of a four-storey apartment building, as well as 14 carved altars and stelae, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which authorised the expedition.
LiDAR scanning from the air initially revealed a settlement covering approximately 15 hectares beneath the forest canopy. Ground verification then confirmed the existence of a complex urban centre containing plazas surrounded by palatial and religious buildings, terraces, and an extensive water management system incorporating wetlands and hydraulic channels, indicating a high degree of urban planning and territorial control, according to The Green Compass.
Archaeologist Vitan Vujanovic, who carried out the physical survey alongside colleagues Atasta Flores Esquivel, Israel Chato Lopez, and Quintin Hernandez Gomez, confirmed that the pyramid temple displayed characteristics of the classic Rio Bec architectural style, a form of Maya architecture associated with the 7th to 12th centuries CE. “This is the first time I have recorded a temple that is more or less well-preserved,” he said.
Archaeologists discovered an intact ancient Maya city deep in the Mexican jungle after a challenging journey that involved cutting through dense forest, travelling by all-terrain vehicles, and trekking several kilometres in extreme tropical conditions. The complete absence of logging roads and looting marks makes the site especially significant, marking the first fully preserved discovery in the region in recent years.
The city likely thrived during the Late Classic period (600-900 AD), when millions populated the Maya lowlands, and played a key role in regional agriculture and trade networks. Evidence suggests possible external influence or conflict in its later years, including deliberate damage to monuments.
The discovery was made using LiDAR technology, which can detect buried structures beneath dense forest cover. The site reveals plazas, pyramids, palaces and water systems, offering fresh insight into Maya civilisation. Researchers believe further study will uncover details about its people, political shifts, and eventual decline.
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