Археологичид Мексикийн Балам Кү шим мандлын нөөц газраас 2500 гаруй жилийн настай, томоохон хотын туурийг олж тогтоолоо.
Словенийн Шинжлэх ухаан, урлагийн академийн судлаач, профессор Иван Шпрайцаар ахлуулсан баг агаарын LiDAR (лазер сканер) технологийн тусламжтайгаар өтгөн ой модны доор нуугдсан Эль Йесал хотыг илрүүлжээ. Нэг хавтгай дөрвөлжин километрээс илүү талбайг эзлэх энэхүү хот нь Маяачуудын төв нам дор газрын хамгийн том суурингуудын нэгд тооцогдож байна. Малтлагаар олдсон шаазан эдлэлийн хэлтэрхийнүүд нь уг хотыг МЭӨ 600-аас МЭ 200 оны хооронд буюу Преклассик үед үүсгэн байгуулсныг гэрчилж байна.
Хотын төв хэсэгт 150 метр урт, өргөн, 15 метр өндөр тавцан бүхий “Их Акрополь” байрлах бөгөөд түүн дээр дөрвөн пирамид сүндэрлэдэг. Хамгийн өндөр пирамид нь 27 метр хүрдэг нь тухайн үеийн барилга байгууламжийн цар хүрээг харуулж байна. Археологич Атаста Флорес Эскивелийн тэмдэглэснээр, энэхүү архитектур нь Эдна зэрэг Маяагийн бусад чухал төвтэй ижил төстэй шинж чанартай юм.
Хотын бүтэц нь МЭ 600-900 оны хооронд буюу Сонгодог үед эрс тэлснийг илтгэдэг. Энэ үед шинэ талбай, барилгууд болон газар тариалангийн террасууд нэмэгдсэнээс гадна хотыг хамгаалах зорилготой байж болох толгод дээрх цогцолборуудыг байгуулжээ. Мөн судлаачид хааны дүр төрхийг дүрсэлсэн чулуун хөшөө болон зах зээлийн зориулалттай байж болох өвөрмөц бүтэцтэй талбайнуудыг олж илрүүлсэн нь тус хотын нийгэм, эдийн засгийн зохион байгуулалтыг ойлгоход чухал ач холбогдолтой юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A long-hidden Maya city has been mapped in Mexico’s Balam Kú Biosphere Reserve, revealing a major settlement that was built more than 2,500 years ago. Archaeologists have now completed the first detailed study of El Yesal, uncovering pyramids, plazas, terraces and evidence of an active city.
Hidden deep in the forests of Campeche, El Yesal was first spotted through airborne LiDAR surveys that detected ancient structures beneath the thick vegetation. Until now, the site had only received limited visits from researchers, despite covering a monumental area of more than one square kilometre.
The new investigation was led by Professor Ivan Šprajc from the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts as part of a project approved by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). He described El Yesal as one of the largest known Maya cities in the Central Lowlands.
A Massive Acropolis Reveals El Yesal’s True Scale
The archaeological team documented a large ceremonial area centred around the Great Acropolis, a square platform measuring about 150 metres on each side. The structure rises around 15 metres above the surrounding landscape and supports four pyramidal buildings.
The tallest pyramid reaches 27 metres above the upper surface of the platform, showing the scale of construction achieved by the city’s inhabitants.
The architecture of the Great Acropolis connects El Yesal with other important Maya centres. Archaeologist Atasta Flores Esquivel noted similarities with Edzná, especially during periods influenced by the Petén architectural tradition in the Early Classic and earlier Preclassic periods.
Test digs in the Great Acropolis and nearby North Acropolis uncovered pottery fragments from the Mamom and Chicanel phases, suggesting the city was founded sometime between around 600 BC and AD 200, during the Middle to Late Preclassic period.
The Maya City That Reached Its Peak
Archaeologists found signs that El Yesal grew significantly during the Late Classic period, between AD 600 and 900. During this time, new plazas, large buildings and artificial terraces were added, particularly in the northern part of the settlement.
The researchers also identified hilltop complexes around the city. These areas contain embankments and terraces that may have helped protect the settlement, suggesting that the city’s layout included defensive features.
One of the most striking discoveries was a damaged stone stela studied through high-resolution photogrammetry. Although erosion had removed much of the original carving, the digital model revealed a ruler holding a ceremonial staff and wearing a headdress linked to Yopaat, the Maya storm deity.
The image may have been connected to the ruler’s name or royal identity, giving researchers a rare look at how leaders of El Yesal represented their power.
Ancient Marketplaces Uncover A Forgotten World
Near the Great Acropolis, archaeologists found a group of unusual “nested complexes” made up of low, elongated structures arranged in rectangular and circular patterns.
The layout resembles the Chiik Nahb complex at Calakmul. Researchers think these areas may have been used as marketplaces, offering new clues about how El Yesal was organised and how people exchanged goods within the city.
The research was carried out with support from local authorities and the Balam Kú Biosphere Reserve, which is part of the Great Maya Forest Biocultural Corridor created in 2025 to connect protected areas across Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.
The findings reported by INAH provide the starting point for further studies of El Yesal, a city that likely had links with nearby Maya centres such as Calakmul, Balamkú and Uitzilná. The discovery also shows the archaeological potential of the reserve, where many ancient settlements remain hidden beneath the forest.
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