3D mapping uncovers Lost Maya city

3D mapping uncovers Lost Maya city

Archaeologists have uncovered the ancient Mayan city of Holtun, or "Head of Stone", with the help of 3D mapping system. It's been long known that something was there but because of centuries of jungle covering the area, it was nearly impossible to know exactly what it was.

The 3D topographical map effectively 'erased' the rain forest growth and revealed a 70-foot tall pyramid, an astronomical observatory, a ritual ball court, numerous plazas, and hundreds of buildings. The buildings date 800 BCE to 900 CE.

According to Kathryn Reese-Taylor, a Preclassic Maya specialist, the Lost City of Holtun "was not a New York or Los Angeles, but it was definitely a Denver or Atlanta." Such a discovery is important so archaeologists can better understand how Mayans lived, worked and traded in these smaller, 'secondary' cities.

Holtun is clustered among other Classic Period cities such as Tikal, Yaxha, and Naranjo in northern Guatemala, and completely overgrown with jungle.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/51c6a455fd73.jpg[/atsimg]

From Southern Methodist Universities research team;

3-D map of Guatemala's "Head of Stone" confirms ancient buildings (SMUResearch - blog.smu.edu)

Mapping of Maya's "Holtun" site in Central Lakes region of Guatemala locates triadic pyramid, astronomical observatory, ritual ball court, residential mounds, plazas

Archaeologists have made the first three-dimensional topographical map of ancient monumental buildings long buried under centuries of jungle at the Maya site "Head of Stone" in Guatemala.

The map puts into 3-D perspective the location and size of Head of Stone's many buildings and architectural patterns, which are typical of Maya sites: 70-foot-tall "triadic pyramid," an astronomical observatory, a ritual ball court, numerous plazas and also residential mounds that would have been the homes of elites and commoners, according to archaeologist Brigitte Kovacevich, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

Videos and images at link above.

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National Geographic:

Lost City Revealed Under Centuries of Jungle Growth

Hidden for centuries, the ancient Maya city of Holtun, or Head of Stone, is finally coming into focus.

Three-dimensional mapping has "erased" centuries of jungle growth, revealing the rough contours of nearly a hundred buildings, according to research presented earlier this month.

Though it's long been known to locals that something—something big—is buried in this patch of Guatemalan rain forest, it's only now that archaeologists are able to begin teasing out what exactly Head of Stone was.

More at link above.

The site as it appears today:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/892c51c4d0e9.jpg[/atsimg]

Artist's depiction:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cf151ba0f25b.png[/atsimg]

Artist's depiction:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6025b78093b5.jpg[/atsimg]

Location:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1c64bff38e8d.jpg[/atsimg]

Things like this make you wonder what lost ancient civilizations could lie beneath our feet without our knowledge.

Not to mention a possibility of what our own civilization could look like in a few thousand years!

reply to post by martianmallow


I think it's just another reminder what a major civilization the Maya were. They were definitely prodigious builders.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer

Absolutely its a great discovery, Thanks OP.
The Mayans are a fascinating culture and one that has amazed me since my earlier years.
Thanks for showing me more of this brilliant and interesting culture.

S&F

NICE!!! nice find man. Hopefully theres inscriptions and texts left behind here, that we can learn more about the mayans and their story of creation and their knowledge of space from since all of their texts that we know of were destroyed.
Im pretty sure a few months back, I think the end of 2010 a similar site was found using 3d mapping, but ubfortunately that was the last that was released. never learned of any finds within the city onlt that a mayan city was discovered using 3d mapping. hopefully we'll get info out of this one, and hopefully soon!

Ahhh damn smu is our rival school, therefore, I cannot trust this research

Pretty awesome find though

Seems like more evidence for lost civilizations keep popping up (www.abovetopsecret.com...&flagit=695821)

Maybe the history books will be rewritten soon

Its amazing how all these pyramids and buildings are being discoverd, and to me, its seems that our ancestors were alot smarter than we are today...

Some of these pyramids have survived horrific global disasters.

Did the ancients know that this was the only type of building that would last hundreds of centuries into the future, surviving floods, volcanic activity etc

All you need to do is fly a couple of jet liners into our modern day buildings, and they are toast!

What Gives?

This is amazing just imagine all the artifacts to be discovered inside as this city and pyramids are untouched for maby thousands of years unlike others around the world.

Just cause it's the same Tech I'll promote an oldy of mine which IMO was just as interesting. S&F great new finds I love it.

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Originally posted by grindhouzer
Its amazing how all these pyramids and buildings are being discoverd, and to me, its seems that our ancestors were alot smarter than we are today...

Some of these pyramids have survived horrific global disasters.

Did the ancients know that this was the only type of building that would last hundreds of centuries into the future, surviving floods, volcanic activity etc

All you need to do is fly a couple of jet liners into our modern day buildings, and they are toast!

What Gives?

do you think a jetliner has hit any of those buildings?
granted the mayans did choose a strong material or process for building , natural to.
but there just wasent any planes around to wreck them

an astronomical observatory,

in a small town

its like every town got churches...mayan towns got observatories of the heavens..

who knows if we shall find more clues as how the mayans see the 2012 thingy

reply to post by P-M-H


Indeed, no aircraft..... WORSE: global floods, volcanoes, hurricanes.....

SO my question remains

This is one of the looters tunnel that led to the discovery of this lost city, looters uncovered giant carved masks in 1994. (Holtun is Itza-Mayan for "stone head"). Someone reported the looting activity which led to the actual discovery. Too bad these crooks didn't realize that real fame and fortune lay in bringing discoveries like the ruins of Holtun to light in archeological research rather than peddling looted history on the blackmarket.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/380c89ee18f5.jpg[/atsimg]

These carved masks adorned one of the principal structures of the site; as depicted below.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8e4972279b6a.jpg[/atsimg]

Another excavation leading to one of the buried structures; kinda amazing how quickly the jungle reclaimed them.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8d7288447ed4.png[/atsimg]

(ps: I might have been exaggerating about archeology = fame and fortune part...)

Can anyone please explain how those flat stone roofs of the Mayan temples can keep rain out - which would seep through the joints between the stones? And what is that large billboard-like thing on the top of those pyramid/temples?

If the truth ever sees the light of day, I think we're going to find, a good portion of what we think we know about the Mayan culture is wrong.

Thanks for posting this. S&F.