Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered an ancient Indian city that may have contained as many buildings as modern Manhattan.
Ancient indian city
About half an hour from Morelia, west of Mexico City, is an Indian city believed to have been built about 900 years ago by a group of people known as the Purepecha. This nation competed with the Aztecs. The researchers also found that the settlement was built on a summit that was covered in lava flow a thousand years ago.
Using a groundbreaking technology known as Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar Scanning), archaeologists were able to map this ancient city. The images showed clear surroundings and structural outlines covering almost the entire area known as Angamuko.
“The idea that this massive city has existed in the center of Mexico all this time and no one knew about it is amazing,” said Chris Fisher, an archaeologist at the University of Colorado who presented this data to the American Association for Science Advancement.
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“This is a huge area with many people and many architectural backgrounds,” he said. "If you apply mathematical calculations, you will find 40,000 building foundations, which is about the same number of buildings as on the island of Manhattan."
Early research
Although the images are only now being revealed, the city of Angamuko has been in the field of view of researchers for the past 11 years. In 2007, when the ancient Indian city was first discovered, scientists tried to study it without the use of computer technology. They unveiled 1,500 architectural structures, although the team quickly realized it would take at least ten years to pan the entire area.
Modern method used in archeology
In 2011, the team began using lidar, which showed more than scientists expected. With the new images, the team can accurately map out the locations to be excavated.
The use of lidar involves directing laser pulses in a fast sequence to the ground from an aircraft. Time and pulse wavelengths combined with GPS and other data create an extremely accurate 3D landscape map. Most importantly, the lidar image can be displayed even through dense foliage.
In early February, researchers in Guatemala used lidar to discover an ancient Mayan city that had long been hidden under a jungle canopy. The use of the new method was revolutionary in archeology as it is more accurate and less labor intensive.
“Many new buildings can be found using the lidar method. Archaeologists know too little about the landscape in the Americas, said scientist Fischer. "Now every textbook must be rewritten, and in two years they will have to be rewritten again."
Author: Maya Muzashvili