Ancient Maya ruins in Mexico, not far from Valeriana

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Jungle of Secrets

Scientists use laser technology to discover a hidden ancient city in a rainforest in Mexico. 

March 17, 2025
By Nina Strochlic and the editors of Scholastic News

As You Read, Think About: How can technology improve the way humans explore?

Ancient secrets are hidden in a rainforest in southern Mexico. Cities filled with homes, temples, and vast farms once stood there. They belonged to the Maya people, who formed a great ancient civilization. But those cities were abandoned more than a thousand years ago. In the centuries since, they were swallowed by the thick trees of the rainforest. 

Last October, scientists revealed that they had discovered one of those lost cities in the Mexican state of Campeche (kahm-PAY-chay). Most Maya ruins are buried in the remote wilderness, but the newly found site is located just minutes from a modern town. 

“It wasn’t deep in the jungle,” explains Luke Auld-Thomas. He’s the anthropologist who realized the ruins were there. “It was just a stone’s throw from the road.” 

Experts say this discovery shows that many more Maya ruins may be waiting to be found.

The Mighty Maya

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

The Maya Empire

The ancient Maya lived in what is now southern Mexico and Central America. The Maya Empire was at the height of its power from 250 A.D. to 900 A.D. 

During that time, the Maya built sprawling cities and became one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas. They created a complex writing system, and their understanding of math and science was ahead of the times. The Maya were also skilled farmers. Despite living on hilly, swampy land, they developed techniques for growing everything from corn to avocados. But the Maya civilization collapsed about 1,100 years ago.

Lasers Lead the Way

Over the years, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of many Maya structures. But searching for clues in huge, dense jungles can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

That’s why some scientists are using a technology called lidar to search for lost cities from above. (Lidar is short for light detection and ranging.) Here’s how it works: Planes equipped with a special type of laser fly over a forest. They shoot millions of laser pulses at the ground below. Lidar technology allows scientists to “see” beneath the trees and create detailed maps of an area. 

Luke Auld-Thomas/Tulane University

This lidar map shows the locations of some of the ancient Maya structures found in Valeriana.

More to Come?

A few years ago, Auld-Thomas was doing a Google search when he came across lidar images of an area in southern Mexico. He noticed what looked like the outlines of buildings beneath the trees. He quickly realized that he was looking at the remains of a huge city. Scientists named the site Valeriana.

Auld-Thomas worked with scientists in Mexico and the U.S. They determined that Valeriana was once home to up to 50,000 people. So far, the team has identified nearly 7,000 ruins. That includes homes, pyramids, dams, and other structures. 

What makes the discovery of Valeriana even more incredible? Auld-Thomas has never set foot in the area. Though he plans to visit the lost city, so far he’s explored it only on his computer. He says tools like lidar can help uncover endless secrets of the Maya. 

“You will be amazed at how much there is to discover just beyond where everybody has been looking,” Auld-Thomas says. “There is so much left to find and so much left to learn.”

The Maya Today

iStockPhoto/Getty Images

More than 7 million people can trace their roots back to the ancient Maya. Most of them live in Mexico and countries in Central America. The Maya make up about 40 percent of the population of Guatemala, where they speak more than 20 different versions of the Maya language. Throughout the region, many of today’s Maya continue to preserve the culture and traditions of their ancestors. 

“The ancient Maya are not a mysterious lost civilization,” explains anthropologist Luke Auld-Thomas. “The Maya civilization and the Maya people today have a direct historical line connecting them.” 

1. How does lidar help scientists search for lost cities?

2. What do you think Luke Auld-Thomas means when he says that “there is so much left to find”?

3. Based on the article, describe two reasons the ancient Maya civilization might be considered advanced.

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