IttiHaas Chronicle
archaeology

LiDAR Survey Reveals a Massive 9th-Century 'Maya Astronomical University' and Concentric Observatory in Remote Campeche

📅 April 12, 2026 📰 Heritage Daily
LiDAR Survey Reveals a Massive 9th-Century 'Maya Astronomical University' and Concentric Observatory in Remote Campeche

Archaeologists utilizing advanced LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology have mapped a sprawling 9th-century urban complex hidden beneath the dense canopy of the Campeche jungle in Mexico. The site, tentatively named 'Ak'tun-Kan,' appears to have served as a centralized 'university' dedicated to the study of planetary cycles and mathematics.

The most striking feature of the discovery is a series of massive concentric circular platforms that align with the rising and setting points of Venus and Mars. Surrounding these ritual-academic structures are remains of student dormitories and administrative buildings, suggesting a highly organized system of higher learning within the late Maya Classic period.

Original source: Heritage Daily