Culture

Remains of 3,000-Year-Old Mayan City Unearthed in Guatemala

MAY 30 2025·Updated MAY 31 2025

Story

Above: The ruins of a pre-Columbian Maya farming village, preserved under layers of volcanic ash, Joya de Ceren, El Salvador, Central America. Image credit: Sergi Reboredo/Contributor/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Facts

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient Maya city, Los Abuelos, located in northern Guatemala's Peten region, approximately 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the Uaxactun archaeological site. This site features architectural planning, including pyramids and monuments that date back to the 8th-5th centuries B.C.
GB News
guardian
Facebook
The newly discovered city, spanning 16 square kilometers, was unearthed by Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists in previously unexplored areas of the Uaxactun park, revealing iconography and ceremonial structures that suggest it was one of the most important ancient ritual centers in the region.
CBS News
WFXG
Los Abuelos, meaning "The Grandparents" in Spanish, derives its name from two human-like sculptures of an ancestral couple, dated between 500 and 300 B.C., that are potentially linked to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship central to Maya ceremonial practices.
Independent
ScienceAlert
TikTok
The archaeological complex comprises three interconnected sites that form an urban triangle: Los Abuelos, Petnal (featuring a 33-meter-high pyramid with preserved murals), and Cambrayal (containing a sophisticated canal system), a previously unknown urban development.
Daily Mail
CNN
The Maya civilization flourished between 2000 B.C. and 900 A.D. across present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, developing advanced systems of writing, mathematics, and astronomy.
WFXG
Interesting Engineering
Daily Mail
This finding follows the April discovery of a 1,000-year-old altar from Mexico's ancient Teotihuacan culture at nearby Tikal, suggesting significant cultural connections between pre-Hispanic societies separated by approximately 1,300 kilometers.
ScienceAlert
CBS News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The discovery of Los Abuelos marks a groundbreaking advancement in understanding the early development of the Mayan civilization. The sophisticated architectural planning and unique iconography demonstrate advanced cultural and technological capabilities far earlier than previously recognized. The presence of elaborate water management systems and ceremonial structures suggests a highly organized society with complex religious and political systems.

Independent

Narrative B

While the discovery is significant, questions remain about the true nature of the site's ceremonial practices and its role in the broader Mayan world. The presence of sacrificial altars and ritual spaces indicates potentially darker aspects of Mayan culture, including human sacrifice, particularly of children. The site's abandonment also raises questions about the sustainability of such complex urban centers in challenging jungle environments.

Daily Mail