The ancient city of Los Abuelos (translated from Spanish as “ancestors”) is nestled deep within the jungle, located 21 kilometers from the archaeological site of Waka, in the northern department of Petén. This was reported by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture.
This city was a true ancient metropolis, spanning 16 square kilometers. Researchers uncovered stunning architecture within its bounds, as reported by the Independent. According to scientists, it was likely “one of the oldest and most significant ceremonial centers” of the Maya civilization.
Scholars dated the architectural finds to between 800 and 500 B.C. However, some of the discovered figurines, according to the team, were created between 500 and 300 B.C. They “may be linked to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship.”
The researchers also noted that earlier, near the newly discovered city, they unearthed two other significant archaeological sites. One of these is a 33-meter-high pyramid at the Petnal site, adorned with pre-classic Maya frescoes. The other, the Cambroial site, astonished scientists with its advanced hydraulic infrastructure.
These three sites—Los Abuelos, Petnal, and Cambroial—were likely interconnected in the past, forming a “previously unknown urban triangle.” “These findings have helped us rethink the ceremonial and socio-political organization of pre-Hispanic Petén,” the researchers wrote in their report.
The discovery came shortly after archaeologists found a 1,000-year-old altar in Guatemala, located 23 kilometers from Waka, in April. This altar was painted in red, yellow, and blue and belonged to the ancient Mexican culture of Teotihuacan. Archaeologists believe this altar signifies a connection between two pre-Hispanic cultures—Teotihuacan and the Maya—that were separated by 1,300 kilometers.
The Maya civilization emerged around 2600 B.C. and thrived for nearly three millennia in Central and South America, as noted by the Daily Mail. Its peak occurred between 250 and 900 A.D. The Maya people boasted advanced writing, art, architecture, mathematics, and astronomy. By around 1000 A.D., the civilization declined, with researchers suggesting that a devastating drought led to an agricultural crisis.