Remains of several pyramids, plazas, homes and altars have thus far been uncovered

Jun 21, 2013 11:21 GMT  ·  By

Archaeologists sure seem to have their hands full these days. Not long ago, a team of researchers announced that they had discovered a 1,200-year-old city hidden in the Cambodian forest.

Now, one other group of archaeologists are saying that Mexico's forests are home to another long-lost city.

The city found in the Mexican jungle dates back to the days of the Mayans, archaeologists explain. They say that this urban area most likely reached its peak between A.D. 600 and A.D. 900.

This time frame coincides with the Late Classic Maya period, Live Science reports.

This ancient Maya city is located in the Yucatán Peninsula's Campeche province. Several other Mayan complexes and artifacts have been uncovered in this region over the years, yet archaeologists somehow remained oblivious to the existence of this urban area.

By the looks of it, researchers only became aware of the fact that something was hidden in this part of the Mexican jungle after carefully analyzing aerial photographs of the region.

“With aerial photographs examined stereoscopically, we found many features that were obviously architectural remains.”

“From there we took the coordinates and the next step was to locate the ancient alleys used by tappers and loggers to reach the area,” archaeologist Ivan Sprajc explained.

Measurements show that, when in its glory days, the ancient Maya city covered a surface of some 54 acres (22 hectares).

Archaeological evidence suggests that is was heavily populated and quite complex, architecturally speaking. Thus, it encompassed several pyramids and palatial complexes.

Researchers estimate that one of these pyramids measured an impressive 75 feet (23 meters) in height.

Remains of ball courts, plazas, homes, altars and other such structures have also been found, the same source reports.

“It is one of the largest sites in the Central Lowlands, comparable in its extent and the magnitude of its buildings with Becan, Nadzcaan and El Palmar in Campeche,” reads a statement issued by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.

The site has been dubbed Chactún by the archaeologists who discovered it.

In the future, they wish to determine whether or not this city was in any way connected to other Mayan cities lurking in its proximity.