Submitted by Sean Williams on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 10:02
Archaeologists exploring the lost Maya city of El Mirador claim they've found the world's biggest pyramid. The massive structure, called La Danta (The Tapir), may have its summit hidden beneath Guatemala's jungle canopy. Yet its volume is reckoned to be larger than that of the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt's Giza Plateau. The city itself, dubbed the 'Maya Cradle of Civilization', is the size of a modern metropolis; bigger than downtown Los Angeles. And experts believe there are thousands more pyramids yet to be found.
Kaminaljuyu, an archaeological park in Guatemala, is one of the earliest Maya sites to have survived up to present day. It is found in the country's capital at Guatemala City, and has been the site for numerous archaeological excavations.
Kaminaljuyu, which means "place of the ancestors" in the Mayan K'iche' language, was settled as late as the 8th century BC. But the ancient city was abadoned by 1000 AD, coinciding with the collapse of Maya civilization.
Leftover remnants of the city and its earthen complexes include pyramid-like mounds, funerary chambers, monuments and other relics. These findings have helped shed light on the early history of Mesoamerica. Tourists can still visit the site today. But the surrounding urbanization has already encroached on the original site. Lack of funds and the challenges of maintaining the park continue to the threaten the preservation of Kaminaljuyu.
At its peak from around 250-900 AD, Maya civilization was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world. Its many ancient ruins scattered across modern day Central America are as striking and iconic as any that can be seen today in Egypt, Italy, Greece or China.
And some of Maya’s finest architectural treasures may still remain undiscovered. Geographically, the Maya region was vast and varied, stretching from the borders of present day southern Mexico through Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador into western Honduras, encompassing landscape ranging from the mountainous regions of the Sierra Madre to the semi-arid plains of northern Yucatán.
Rugged and covered heavily with dense, impenetrable forest in many places, the area’s geography, topography and vegetation present no shortage of challenges to archaeologists. Explorers can stumble right through an ancient city that once housed thousands and not even realise it. Only a small number of documented Maya sites have so far been excavated, while most are probably yet to even be located. It’s a challenge that has led experts to pioneer novel and hi-tech techniques for detecting ancient ruins – techniques that may go a long way to answering the greatest Maya mystery of them all.
Quirigua was a medium sized Mayan site along the lower Motagua River in Guatemala, situated at the confluence of several important trading routes.
The site is best known for its unusually large stelae elaborately carved from single blocks of red sandstone, whose long panels of glyphic text that are considered among the most complex and beautiful of all Maya stone inscriptions.
A World Heritage Site, the ruins of Quirigua are described by UNESCO as containing 'some outstanding 8th-century monuments and an impressive series of carved stelae and sculpted calendars that constitute an essential source for the study of Mayan civilization'.
Tikal, in the jungles of Guatemala is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-columbian Mayan civilization and was at its height between 200 and 900 AD. The park contains 222 square miles of jungle, and the residential area of Tikal itself covers 23 square miles encompassing 1000s of structures of which very few have been excavated. The University of Pennsylvania took 13 years to uncover 10 square miles of architectural remains, so there are most likely a number of structures in jungle yet to be discovered. Structures at Tikal include 6 large Mesoamerican step pyramids, smaller pyramids, royal palaces, residences and inscribed stone monuments.
San Bartolo is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site located in the Department of Petén in northern Guatemala, northeast of Tikal and roughly 50 miles from the nearest settlement.
The Maya site is dominated by an 85-foot pyramid named 'Las Ventanas' (The windows), but also includes the Temple of 'Las Pinturas' (The paintings); and an early royal tomb in the 'Tigrillo Complex' (Ocelot Complex). Meanwhile, the 'Jabalí'(Wild Boar) group to the east of the central Plaza features a triadic complex similar to the H group in Uaxactún and Tikal's North Acropolis.
The tomb of an early Maya king was also discovered 1.6 kilometres away to the west beneath a small pyramid in 2005 - dated to 150 BC, it was the oldest known Maya royal tomb to date.
