Valeriana (Maya city)

Valeriana
Valeriana (Maya city) is located in Campeche
Valeriana (Maya city)
Valeriana (Maya city) (Campeche)
Approximate location of the site
History
PeriodsEarly Classic to Late Classic
CulturesMaya civilization
This article is part of a series on the
Maya civilization
Drawing of a Mayan stone carving with elaborate decoration.
History
Spanish conquest of the Maya

Valeriana is the ruin of an ancient Maya city in the Mexican state of Campeche near its border with the state of Quintana Roo. Its discovery was announced in October 2024, and the site was named after an adjacent freshwater lagoon of the same name.[1]

The style and architecture of the city matches that of Chactún-Tamchen area to its southeast.[1] The city contains multiple plazas, temple pyramids, a Maya Ballgame court, and a dammed reservoir, all of which indicate the city being a political capital.[1] The presence of particular architectural features known as an "E-Group assemblage" indicates the founding date being earlier than 150 A.D.[1] The density of building clusters in Valeriana is considered by the researchers to be second only to Calakmul. They estimate that the city may have had a population of between 30,000 and 50,000 at its peak from 750 to 850 AD.[2]

Researchers discovered the site using lidar data from a 2013 forest monitoring project.[3] The researchers have planned field work in the site to expand their findings.[3] They also described the ruins as "hidden in plain sight" as it is only 15 minutes from a major road near Xpujil.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d Auld-Thomas, Luke; Canuto, Marcello A.; Morlet, Adriana Velázquez; Estrada-Belli, Francisco; Chatelain, David; Matadamas, Diego; Pigott, Michelle; Fernández Díaz, Juan Carlos (29 October 2024). "Running out of empty space: environmental lidar and the crowded ancient landscape of Campeche, Mexico". Antiquity. 98 (401): 1340–1358. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.148. ISSN 0003-598X.
  2. ^ a b Rannard, Georgina (28 October 2024). "Lost Mayan city found in Mexico jungle by accident". BBC News. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b Jones, Sam (29 October 2024). "Lost Maya city with temple pyramids and plazas discovered in Mexico". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 October 2024.