LiDAR Reveals Massive Maya City Valeriana in Campeche, Mexico. Valeriana is a newly identified Maya city in Campeche, Mexico Discovered using LiDAR technology (repurposed forest-monitoring scans) The city has pyramids, a ballcourt, reservoirs, and an estimated 6,000 buildings
Archaeologists discovered Valeriana - the latest Maya city found in Campeche, Mexico! Researchers mapped this huge settlement using LiDAR data (repurposed forest-monitoring scans). LiDAR & local knowledge are revealing major Maya centers hiding in plain sight. The city features pyramids, plazas, reservoirs, and more than 6,500 structures.
Key Facts
- Valeriana is a newly identified Maya city in Campeche, Mexico
- Discovered using LiDAR technology (repurposed forest-monitoring scans)
- The city has pyramids, a ballcourt, reservoirs, and an estimated 6,000 buildings
- Valeriana rivals the great city of Calakmul in size
- Located north of the known city of Ban (Balam)
- Local people knew of its existence but it remained unmapped by archaeologists
- Archaeologist Thomas (likely Ivan Sprock) mapped the site
Related site: Valeriana — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Why these Ancient Cities Stay Hidden for Centuries by Archaeologist Ed Barnhart