{"id":240433,"date":"2023-11-05T07:37:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T07:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=240433"},"modified":"2023-11-05T07:37:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T07:37:34","slug":"the-forgotten-ancient-mayan-city-thats-only-been-visited-a-handful-of-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/lifestyle\/the-forgotten-ancient-mayan-city-thats-only-been-visited-a-handful-of-times\/","title":{"rendered":"The forgotten ancient Mayan city that’s only been visited a handful of times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mexican temple discovered containing tomb of ancient Mayan king<\/h3>\n

The Maya civilisation was one of the world’s longest-lasting empires.<\/p>\n

Opinions differ, but some put Maya society as having begun as far back as 2000 BCE.<\/p>\n

Its peak lasted for hundreds of years, between 250 CE and 900 CE, and would only fall in the 16th century after years of war and the arrival of the Spanish.<\/p>\n

Traces and relics of the Maya can be found all across Mexico and northern Central America, some of which continue to be found even today.<\/p>\n

Of the great discoveries made in the region, perhaps the most intriguing came with the uncovering of Naachtun, an abandoned metropolis left almost as it was on being abandoned thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n

READ MORE <\/strong> Archaeologists taken aback by ancient Persian steel discovery in desert<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Naachtun is situated at the heart of the Maya region, just a kilometre south of the Mexican border in far northern Guatemala, and is thought to have been founded in 400 BC.<\/p>\n

It was only discovered by Western archaeologists in 1922 and remains one of the most remote sites in the former Maya region.<\/p>\n

Few people have visited in the past 80 years, just a handful of researchers lucky enough to reach its ancient splendours.<\/p>\n

Despite its isolation today, Naachtun was one of the Maya’s most prized possessions and city-states.<\/p>\n

The site has been investigated by Calgary University since 2004, where teams have found evidence of just how important Naachtun once was.<\/p>\n

During the Classic period \u2014 which spanned 250 AD to 900 AD \u2014 the Maya world was dominated by the two city\u00a0superpowers of\u00a0Calakmul and Tikal.<\/p>\n

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