Remains of 3,000-year-old Mayan city discovered in Central America reveals insights into early civilisation

Archaeologists have recently uncovered the remains of an ancient Maya city in northern Guatemala, which dates back nearly 3,000 years. The site which is named Los Abuelos, spanish for 'The Grandparents', lies in the Petén region, about 13 miles from Uaxactun, near the Mexican border. This latest discovery has uncovered one of the earliest notable ceremonial centres of the Maya civilisation.

The site covers an area of roughly 16 square kilometres and it dates back to the Middle Preclassic period, which was between 800 and 500 BC. According to the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports, it as one of the oldest and most important ceremonial centres in this part of Central America, offering fresh insight into early Maya urban planning.

The research and excavations in the area resulted in the revelation of pyramids, astronomical observatories as well as several monuments decorated with regional iconography by the natives of the Maya civilisation. Most importantly, two anthropomorphic sculptures were discovered, that represented an ancestral couple. These date from 500 to 300 BC and may be related to ancient ancestor worship rituals, also shedding light on early religious practices.

Alongside Los Abuelos, archaeologists discovered two nearby sites, namely Petnal and Cambrayal. While Petnal contains a 33-metre pyramid decorated with Preclassic murals, the other site, Cambrayal features a very unique canal system thought to be used for water transport. Together, these three sites form a previously unknown urban triangle, which suggests a complex socio-political organisation of the Mayan civilisation.

The canal system at the Cambrayal site, highlights an advanced water management and urban design by early Maya communities. This discovery, along with the other evidence found earlier points towards the use of hydraulic engineering that may have contributed to the development of sophisticated settlements in the Petén region.

The Maya civilisation was a Mesoamerican civilisation that flourished for centuries from around 2000 BC, and peaked during the Classic period between 400 and 900 AD. This civilisation, according to the studies and evidences, covered areas in present-day Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. However, it experienced a decline around the 9th and 10th centuries CE, after which the cities were abandoned. The discovery of Los Abuelos, is significant as it provides valuable context on the early stages of this influential civilisation. The project is led by Slovak archaeologist Milan Kovác, with initial excavations beginning in 2023 and expanding in 2024.