Unravelling the secrets of the Mayan Empire
There is little that fascinates me more than the ancient Mayan culture. In terms of complexity and level of development, this culture can be compared to the civilisations of the ancient Egyptians, the Romans and the ancient Chinese empire. Two decades ago, I visited Tikal, at that time the most important and best-known Mayan city in Guatemala. It was an almost magical experience to visit these ancient, partly overgrown remains of the highly civilised Mayan civilisation in Central America’s largest tropical rainforest.
The tip of the iceberg
The Maya civilisation is thought to have emerged more than two thousand years before the start of our calendar. We now know that the Maya used a fully developed and complex writing system and possessed extensive knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, agriculture, architecture and urban planning. They also produced sophisticated ceramic art. In recent years, it has become clear that only the tip of the iceberg of this highly developed pre-Columbian civilisation has been discovered.
The innovative LiDAR system was first introduced a few years ago. Since then, discoveries have accelerated and more and more secrets of the Maya Empire are being unravelled. Below, I have listed a number of fascinating discoveries.
Gente Mágica - A conversation about the wondrous world of the Maya
In our online series ‘Gente Mágica’ interviews, Johan spoke to Jimmy Rogers and archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli about the wonders of the ancient Mayan civilisation. Francisco is currently working at the Mayan city of Holmul on the border between Guatemala and Belize and has made some remarkable discoveries. Watch the interview on our YouTube channel or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify or iTunes.
LiDAR technology
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. The LiDAR technique was developed by NASA in the 1960s, but has only been used for research into ancient civilisations for the past few years. This technique involves flying over the rainforest in a helicopter, aeroplane or drone. A device sends pulses of light downwards. This creates a digital scan of the surface, allowing researchers to ‘see’, as it were, what lies beneath the rainforest. Whilst LiDAR does provide a futuristic 3D scan of the vast cities hidden beneath the untouched rainforest, archaeologists still have to venture into the jungle with a machete and a compass to actually uncover the treasures. This system has previously been used to map the temple complex at Angkor Wat in the Cambodian rainforest. And now, with the help of National Geographic and Pacunam (a Guatemalan organisation dedicated to the preservation of Mayan heritage), it is also being used to map the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala.
Would you like to find out more about LiDAR technology at Tikal? Then watch the video below
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Astounding discoveries in the Petén region
The findings are astonishing. The Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala is not only the largest contiguous tropical rainforest in Central America, but is also regarded as a cultural treasure trove of the highly advanced Maya civilisation. At Tikal alone, more than 60,000 structures have been identified, and it is now believed that between 10 and 15 million people must have lived in this vast, impenetrable Guatemalan rainforest. The ancient Maya civilisation must therefore have been ten times larger and much older than had been thought possible until a few years ago.
The Classic Maya Period
The ancient Maya civilisation stretched southwards from the Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco and the Yucatán Peninsula, through Guatemala and Belize. The southern boundary was marked, amongst other places, by the Mayan city of Copán in Honduras. According to studies, the rainforest in northern Guatemala was very likely the centre of the ancient Mayan civilisation, with Tikal as Guatemala’s most important Mayan city. Tikal was inhabited from around 400 BC to 1000 AD, with its heyday lasting from 300 to 800 AD. Archaeologists refer to this period as the Classic Maya Period.
The Pre-Classical Maya Period
It was long thought that the so-called Pre-Classical Maya period (from 2000 and 1500 BC to around 200 AD) was a time of hunters and gatherers. However, thorough research and various discoveries suggest that even during this period, the Maya civilisation must already have been highly developed. One example of this is El Mirador, situated about 100 kilometres north of Tikal. The American archaeologist Richard Hansen has been researching this Mayan city for over thirty years; it reached its peak during the so-called Pre-Classical period. Here too, LiDAR scans show that the city was many times more complex and advanced than had been assumed until a few years ago. It appears, for instance, that the city must have been larger in size than present-day Los Angeles.
Take a look at El Mirador in 2 minutes below
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Remarkable discovery by archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli
Also deep in the rainforest, on the border with Belize, the Guatemalan-Italian archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli is working on the Mayan city of Holmul. Although this city is smaller in size than El Mirador and Tikal, it is certain that it was considered a very important city. Research shows that the city was inhabited from 900 BC to 900 AD. This means it spans both the Pre-Classical and Classical Maya periods, making it one of the longest-inhabited Maya cities.
In 2013, Francisco Estrada-Belli made a major discovery. He discovered an enormous frieze measuring 2 by 8 metres in a hidden pyramid near the town of Holmul. A frieze is an artistic relief that tells a story or recounts history. The discovery of this frieze effectively unveiled a gigantic encyclopaedia of Mayan culture.
Photo source: Facebook
More about this discovery
In our online series ‘Gente Mágica’ interviews, Johan spoke to Jimmy Rogers and archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli about the wonders of the ancient Mayan civilisation. Francisco is currently working at the Mayan city of Holmul on the border between Guatemala and Belize and has made some remarkable discoveries. Watch the interview on our YouTube channel or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify or iTunes.
More about Mayan discoveries
For even more Maya discoveries, we highly recommend National Geographic’s documentary series ‘Lost Treasures of the Maya Snake Kings’. The series is currently available on Disney+.
Finally, the episodes of *Expedition Unknown* in which Josh Gates visits archaeologist Richard Hansen at El Mirador are highly recommended. This latest two-part series of *Expedition Unknown* can be viewed on YouTube:
Trip of the Mayan cities
If you’re interested in these remarkable archaeological sites and Mayan culture, and would like to plan a trip to Guatemala yourself, we’d be delighted to help. With us, you’ll visit Mayan cities such as Tikal with the best guides, and we can also take you to remote sites such as El Mirador, Uaxactún and Holmul, where you’ll have the chance to meet the archaeologists who are unravelling the secrets of the Maya. Please feel free to contact us for more information. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an email to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We’d be delighted to help.