A stunning archaeological find in Campeche, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, has revealed a city that has been lost for over a thousand years. Juan Carlos Fernandez-Diaz, an assistant professor of research in civil engineering at the University of Houston, was able to locate this ancient city, now known as Ocomtn, during a fantastic aerial survey.
#-01 – A building with a staircase that once stood within the ancient city of Ocomtún
But how did they discover the secrets concealed beneath the thick vegetation? LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remarkable technology that holds the key. Using LiDAR, researchers like Fernandez-Diaz could virtually see through the dense jungle canopy and uncover evidence of these magnificent ancient structures.
#-02 – A light detection and ranging (lidar) scan of the site
Archaeologist Ivan Prajc and his Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts group further investigated the fascinating finds. They found 50-foot-tall (15.2-meter-tall) constructions that resembled majestic pyramids, complex ceramics, and interesting carvings due to their investigation of Fernandez-Diaz’s data. They estimate that these structures are between 600 and 900 years old. How could you trust it? A window into the past that gives us a glimpse of a civilization that flourished more than a millennium ago!
#-03 – An inscribed stone found at the Ocomtún site
Who knows what additional mysteries Ocomtn holds waiting to be discovered when scholars set out on this massive exploration journey? To completely understand the complexity and significance of this vanished Maya metropolis may need years of painstaking excavation and research, but the adventure will be well worth it.
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