Mexico City: An ancient Mayan city has been discovered in the jungles of southern Mexico, which experts say may have been the center of Mayan culture 1,000 years ago.
According to international media reports, experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said that the city has large pyramid-like buildings, stone pillars, three plazas and other structures arranged in almost concentric circles.
Experts also said that the city was named Ocomtún, which means ‘pillar of stone’ in the Mayan language. The city was the main center of the central lowlands of the peninsula between 250 and 1000 AD.
The remains of the city are located in the Balmco Ecological Reserve on the country’s Yucatan Peninsula and were discovered during an exploration of an unexplored forest area larger than the European country of Luxembourg. The search was conducted using aerial laser mapping (LiDAR) technology.
The Maya civilization, best known for its sophisticated mathematical calendars, extended into southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America. Widespread political destruction led to its decline in the centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
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