Utilizing advanced LiDAR technology, researchers have mapped a massive, previously hidden Mayan industrial complex dedicated to the extraction and processing of cinnabar in the highlands of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The survey identified over 40 open-pit mines and a sophisticated network of stone causeways used to transport the toxic red mineral, which was highly prized by the Maya elite for ritual paint and funerary use.
Deep within the complex, archaeologists located a ritual cave sanctuary containing thousands of ceramic offerings and evidence of large-scale ceremonies performed to appease the gods of the underworld during mining operations. This find marks the first time a large-scale, dedicated industrial zone for mineral extraction has been mapped in the Maya region, challenging the view that such resources were only harvested on a small, local scale.