An archaeological discovery in Guatemala has uncovered a complex of three cities of the ancient Maya, offering unprecedented insight into one of Mesoamerica’s earliest ceremonial centers. The Los Abuelos, Petnal, and Cambrayal cities were unearthed in the Petén jungle, approximately 13 miles from the renowned Maya city of Uaxactun. The largest of the three, Los Abuelos, is believed to date back an incredible nearly 3,000 years, to the Middle Preclassic period (800–500 BCE), according to an announcement by Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture and Sports.

Temple of the Masks in Uaxactun. The newly discovered site is located near this ancient Maya city. Credit: Clemens Schmillen / CC BY-SA 4.0

“Los Abuelos,” or “The Grandparents,” is named after two very old ancestral statues that were found at the site, designated as “5A” and “5B.” This ancient city was once a major ceremonial center. These stone figures of a man and woman are thought to be symbolic of an ancestral couple, which lends cultural and symbolic meaning to the site. The city spans about six square miles and is adorned with pyramids, sacred sanctuaries, and monuments, full of unique iconography. According to the Guatemalan Culture Ministry, the discovery of the city of Los Abuelos is exceptional for being ancient in character and for its distinctive features of historical value.

Among the striking finds is a 108-foot pyramid with two preserved chambers adorned in red, white, and black murals. Nearby, researchers found an “E-Group” architectural complex, an arrangement often ᴀssociated with Maya astronomical observation. The group, in archaeologists’ view, may be older than similar structures in the region, potentially altering current understanding of Maya calendrical and ritual practices.

The research, part of the broader PARU project, has been ongoing since 2009 and covers over 1,200 square kilometers. Out of 176 sites found, 20 have been excavated, and only three—Los Abuelos, Petnal, and Cambrayal—have been suggested as major centers. The project is a collaborative effort between Guatemalan archaeologists and Slovak insтιтutions, particularly Comenius University in Bratislava. Slovakia’s consul to Guatemala, Fernando Montúfar, praised the Slovak scholars’ deep commitment to the project.

The newly discovered site is located near the ancient Maya city of Uaxactun in Guatemala, shown here. Credit: Clemens Schmillen / CC BY-SA 4.0

While Los Abuelos was a ceremonial site, Petnal appears to have been political in function. Its defining feature is a 33-meter-high pyramid crowned by a chamber filled with colorful murals, indicating the city’s prominent history as a political nucleus during the Late Preclassic and Classic periods.

Cambrayal, the third city in the complex, is distinguished by its innovative engineering. A network of 57-meter-long, stucco-lined canals, possibly a waste drainage system, runs from a palace reservoir along the main facade of the city. Archaeologists found a “barrigón”-type sculpture at Cambrayal, a stylistic form seen in southern coastal Maya sites.

Aerial view of the North Acropolis at Yaxha, a Mesoamerican archaeological site of the Maya civilization in Guatemala. Credit: Cafeyaxha

All three cities had the same trajectory of history: flourishing in the Preclassic period, subsequently abandoned, and reoccupied in the Late Classic. Across the sites, there is evidence of human burials, feline remains, altars, and ritual offerings like shells and arrowheads, all serving to underscore the spiritual, political, and functional aspects of early Maya urban life.

“These three cities form a previously unknown urban triangle,” Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture stated. This tri-city discovery not only adds to Guatemala’s national heritage but also adds to the world’s understanding of the Maya civilization, which was renowned for its advanced systems of mathematics, astronomy, writing, and urban planning.

More information: Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports