Will Stunning Find Shed Light on Maya Civilization's Collapse 1,000 Years Ago? Luc Cohen - Reuters
go to original June 24, 2013

It's been hidden for 1400 years and is one of the most important cities in Mayan civilisation. Now it's been found in the Mexican jungle. Al Jazeera's Rachel Levin reports from Mexico City. (AlJazeeraEnglish)

MEXICO CITY — Archaeologists have found an ancient Maya city that remained hidden for centuries in the rainforests of eastern Mexico, a discovery in a remote nature reserve they hope will yield clues about how the civilization collapsed around 1,000 years ago.

The team, led by Ivan Sprajc, associate professor at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, found 15 pyramids — including one that stands 75 feet (23 meters) tall — ball courts, plazas and tall, sculpted stone shafts called stelae.

They named the city Chactun, meaning “Red Rock” or “Large Rock.” Sprajc said it was likely slightly less populous than the large ancient Maya city of Tikal in Guatemala, and could have been home to as many as 30,000 or 40,000 people, though further research is necessary to determine an exact estimate.

Chactun likely had its heyday during the late Classic period of Maya civilization between 600 and 900 A.D., Sprajc said.

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