Archaeologists Thought They Knew the Maya Until They Discovered a Nearly 3,000-Year-Old City in Guatemala

The Petén jungle continues to surprise historians. Near the Mexican border, archaeologists discovered a fascinating “urban triangle” formed by three ancient cities that stand out for their architecture and heritage. The most surprising of these cities is Los Abuelos (Spanish for “The Grandparents”), an important Mayan ceremonial center more than 2,800 years old. It takes its name from two sculptures of an elderly couple likely used in rituals related to ancestor worship.

Experts say these findings open the door to rethinking what we know about ceremonies, society, and pre-Hispanic politics in northern Guatemala.

Beyond Uaxactun. The Maya civilization spread through southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras for centuries. They developed a rich culture dating back to at least 2,000 B.C. The Maya peaked in the 5th century A.D. but declined during the Postclassic period from the 10th to the 13th century. During that long period, the Maya built large populations, including at Uaxactun, a site in Guatemala’s Petén region.

Guatemalan archaeologists have continued searching the Petén jungles for ancient pre-Columbian cities beyond Uaxactun. In 2009, they launched the Uaxactun Archaeological Project (PARU) to explore a vast 460-square-mile area around the ancient Mayan city. Thanks to PARU, experts have cataloged 176 sites—ranging from small archaeological vestiges to larger settlements—after more than 15 years of work.

“An urban triangle.” Cataloging 176 sites doesn’t mean researchers have excavated them all. Over the past few years, they’ve focused on three Mayan cities studied through collaboration with several Slovak institutions, including Comenius University. Their recent conclusions reveal something astonishing: a previously unknown “urban triangle” that flourished during the Middle and Late Preclassic periods (800–500 B.C.) and includes three cities barely 3 miles apart.

This discovery matters for both the archaeological remains and the new perspectives they offer. “These findings allow us to rethink our understanding of the ceremonial and sociopolitical organization of pre-Hispanic Petén,” officials with Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture and Sports said. The three sites that captured the attention of Guatemalan and Slovak experts and form the new Mayan urban triangle are Petnal, Cambrayal, and Los Abuelos—the most fascinating of all.

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A new archaeological jewel. Los Abuelos, dating from the Middle Preclassic period, spans about six square miles and lies roughly 13 miles northwest of Uaxactun. Local authorities describe it as “one of the oldest and most important ceremonial centers of the Preclassic period in Petén.”

They believe it will shed light on the origins of the Maya civilization. The site’s name comes from one of the most curious pieces unearthed by archaeologists: human-shaped sculptures representing an ancestral couple. Experts link these sculptures to ancient rituals of ancestor worship. Initial dating places the sculptures between 500 and 300 B.C.

Architecture for the stars. The sculptures represent only part of Los Abuelos’ archaeological value. The Ministry of Culture highlights the site’s “remarkable architectural planning,” which includes radial pyramids, triadic groups and monuments carved with regionally typical iconography. “In addition to the sculptures, Los Abuelos houses an architectural ensemble known as Group E that functioned as an astronomical observatory,” officials said. “The layout of its buildings allowed accurate recordings of solstices and equinoxes.”

Experts have studied Group E at Uaxactun for years but believe the one in Los Abuelos could be even older. Other vestiges deepen the intrigue. Archaeologists uncovered a human burial at the feet of the two ancestor sculptures, along with nearby remains of several felines and offerings that included vessels, shells, arrowheads and a stela. These finds could reveal valuable information about the ancient Maya settlement.

Completing the triangle. Los Abuelos stands out among Guatemala’s new archaeological discoveries, but it isn’t alone. Another noteworthy site is Petnal, a city that features a 108-foot-high pyramid adorned with Preclassic murals.

At the top of the pyramid, archaeologists found a well-preserved room with traces of a mural painted in red, white, and black stucco. Experts consider it another extraordinary discovery. However, based on its design and features, they believe Petnal served as a political center, unlike Los Abuelos, which likely functioned as a ceremonial one.

There are 187 feet of canals. Cambrayal, the third city in the Petén urban triangle, features a 187-foot-long network of canals extending from a palace across the façade. Archaeologists believe the stucco-lined canals didn’t carry water to the rooms but instead removed waste, acting as an early drainage system. They also uncovered a piece at Cambrayal similar to sculptures found on the South Coast.

Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture emphasizes that the three cities share more than proximity. They all remained occupied for much of the Preclassic period, later abandoned, then rediscovered, rebuilt and repopulated during the Late Classic period.

Images | Jimmy Baum (Unsplash) | Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture

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