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Luxurious Mayan settlements dating back to 700 BC discovered on the Yucatan Peninsula

Maria Tsikhotska

Luxurious Mayan settlements dating back to 700 BC discovered on the Yucatan Peninsula
Three-dimensional model. Source: LiveScience

Scientists at Davidson College in North Carolina have discovered new evidence of a complex civilization left by the ancient Maya in the northern Yucatan Peninsula using laser technology. With the help of laser research, scientists were able to discover fantastic architecture in the Puuk area created by the ancient Maya.

LiveScience writes about it.

Artificial reservoirs with more than 1200 kilns, several terraces for agriculture and approximately 8000 artifacts were found.

Researcher William Ringle, professor emeritus of anthropology at Davidson College, North Carolina, explained that the area was prosperous and the Maya had access to everything they needed for their lives.

Four large acropolis and community centers built around 700 B.C. were also discovered, which testify to the high level of organization and development of the Mayan civilization in the area.

Read also: Scientists say they have solved the mystery of the ancient Mayan calendar

Information about the ancient Mayan settlements in these places has been known since the 1840s, but only now, with the help of large-scale laser scanning, it has been possible to get a more complete picture.

Laser waves mounted on airplanes passed through the ground and the resulting return signals allowed us to create a detailed three-dimensional map of the area. Such methods allow scientists to better understand the life of ancient civilizations and their impact on the development of society.

As a reminder, a 16th-century Mayan canoe surrounded by animal and human bones was found in Mexico.

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