New data from a high-resolution LiDAR mapping mission over the Petén Basin has revealed a sprawling industrial complex hidden beneath the dense jungle canopy. Located approximately 15 kilometers from the Maya city of Tikal, the site includes a massive 'Obsidian Knife Factory' characterized by hundreds of specialized debitage mounds—heaps of razor-sharp volcanic glass flakes left over from the production of ritual and utilitarian blades. The scale of the workshop suggests it was a centralized production hub for regional trade networks during the Late Classic period.
Archaeologists from the PACUNAM LiDAR Initiative noted that the factory is surrounded by previously unknown residential wards and a dedicated marketplace, indicating a highly organized workforce lived on-site. The discovery provides the most comprehensive look yet at Maya manufacturing logistics, showing that obsidian was not just a luxury item but the backbone of a major industrial sector that supported thousands of specialized laborers. Further ground-truthing excavations have already recovered several intact 'eccentric' flints used in elite ceremonies.