Archaeologists have unearthed the nearly 3,000-year-old remains of a Mayan city named Los Abuelos in northern Guatemala, featuring pyramids and monuments indicating its significance as an important ceremonial site from the Middle Preclassic period (800-500BC). The discovery, made by Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists, includes an urban triangle with a 33-meter pyramid and a unique canal system, prompting a rethinking of pre-Hispanic Petén's organization.
Remains of Mayan city nearly 3,000 years old unearthed in Guatemala
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Archaeologists have unearthed the nearly 3,000-year-old remains of a Mayan city named Los Abuelos in northern Guatemala, featuring pyramids and monuments indicating its significance as an important ceremonial site from the Middle Preclassic period (800-500BC). The discovery, made by Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists, includes an urban triangle with a 33-meter pyramid and a unique canal system, prompting a rethinking of pre-Hispanic Petén's organization.
Trending- 1 Around 2000BC: Mayan civilization arose
- 2 800-500BC: Los Abuelos dated to the Middle Preclassic period
- 3 400-900AD: Mayan civilization reached its height
- 4 500-300BC: Ancestral couple figures found at Los Abuelos dated to this period
- 5 April (current year): Scientists discovered a 1,000-year-old altar from Mexico’s ancient Teotihuacán culture at Tikal
- 6 May 29, 2025: Guatemala's culture ministry released a statement on the discovery of Los Abuelos
- Rethinking the understanding of the ceremonial and socio-political organization of pre-Hispanic Petén
- The discovery of an altar at Tikal in April was interpreted as proof of ties between the Teotihuacán and Mayan cultures.
What: The remains of a nearly 3,000-year-old Mayan city, Los Abuelos, including pyramids, monuments, and a canal system, were unearthed.
When: Dated to the Middle Preclassic period (800-500BC); discovered recently, with the country's culture ministry statement on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Where: Northern Guatemala, specifically the Petén department, 21km (13 miles) from Uaxactun, near the Mexican border.
Why: The site's remarkable architectural planning, unique iconography, and the discovery of 'ancestral couple' sculptures suggest it was one of the most ancient and important ceremonial centers of the Mayan civilization, possibly linked to ancestor worship.
How: Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists discovered the city in previously little-explored areas of the Uaxactun park.