Hidden Maya City Valeriana Discovered in Mexican Jungle

A vast Maya city has been uncovered in the jungles of Mexico, hidden for centuries beneath thick vegetation. Archaeologists in Campeche state discovered the site, named Valeriana, revealing ancient pyramids, sports courts, connecting causeways, and amphitheaters.

The team used Lidar technology—a laser mapping technique that detects structures beneath dense foliage. This city, second in building density only to Calakmul, is estimated to have supported 30,000-50,000 people between 750-850 AD, surpassing today’s local population in the area.

PhD student Luke Auld-Thomas, who located the site through online data from a Mexican environmental survey, processed the Lidar data to uncover Valeriana’s structures, including two major centers, temples, plazas, and a reservoir for water supply. The city spans 16.6 square kilometers and includes 6,764 buildings, linked by causeways.

According to co-researcher Professor Marcello Canuto, this discovery challenges the perception that tropical areas hindered civilization development, instead highlighting the Maya’s rich, urbanized culture. Though locals may have suspected hidden ruins, Valeriana’s location remained largely unexplored.

The dense population and sophisticated infrastructure also hint at the challenges Maya cities faced, as environmental pressures and drought contributed to their decline around 800 AD. Later, the Spanish conquests of the 16th century further contributed to the Maya’s disappearance from this region.