Title: “Uncovering the Lost Mayan City of Valeriana: A Google Search Adventure”
It’s not often that we venture beyond the first page of Google’s search results, let alone to page 16. However, that’s exactly what led to the incredible discovery of an immense Mayan city hidden beneath the jungle canopy for centuries. This is truly a remarkable feat.
Luke Auld-Thomas, a doctoral candidate at Tulane University in Louisiana, stumbled upon this discovery in an unexpected way. As reported by the BBC, he explained, “I was deep into page 16 of Google search results where I found a laser survey conducted by a Mexican environmental monitoring organization.”
The survey was performed using Lidar, a cutting-edge remote sensing technology that utilizes laser pulses to measure distances and create accurate, 3D maps of surfaces. In this instance, Lidar was utilized from a plane to map objects on the ground.
Auld-Thomas processed the data using a system typically employed by archaeologists. To his enormous surprise, he found traces of a sizable ancient city which might have been home to up to 50,000 people around 800 AD.
Upon sharing his discoveries with archaeologists, further examinations revealed the existence of pyramids, sports fields, causeways linking districts, and amphitheaters, according to the BBC.
This newly discovered city, now named Valeriana after a nearby lagoon, is located in the southeastern state of Campeche, approximately 600 miles (about 965 kilometers) east of Mexico City.
A closer look at the aerial images shows that Valeriana spans around 6.4 square miles (16.6 square kilometers) and consists of two main centers, connected by causeways and features densely packed housing. Nearly 6,800 buildings have been identified. The ancient city’s landscape also includes two plazas with temple pyramids for worship and a court for ball games.
The reason for the city’s disappearance remains unclear. However, some suggest that climate-induced drought conditions may have compelled the residents to migrate to more fertile regions.
As highlighted by the BBC report, Lidar technology has revolutionized the way archaeologists survey locations covered in vegetation, making the process faster and more efficient compared to traditional on-foot surveys.
While these are thrilling times for archeologists, Auld-Thomas noted a downside: “one of the drawbacks of finding many new Maya cities in the Lidar era is that there are more than we can ever hope to study.”
Nonetheless, in this instance, Google search played a significant part in the discovery of Valeriana, showcasing the importance of Auld-Thomas’s decision to venture beyond the first page of the search results.
