A breakthrough study utilizing high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has identified a massive, previously unknown Maya city in the dense jungles of northern Guatemala. Dubbed 'The Spiral City' by researchers from the PACUNAM LiDAR Initiative, the site is defined by its revolutionary urban layout, featuring a central pyramid complex surrounded by concentric, spiral-shaped residential platforms and defensive walls.
Preliminary analysis suggests the city reached its peak during the Pre-Classic period (approx. 400 BCE), challenging the traditional view that such complex urban planning only emerged centuries later. The spiral design is thought to have served both a ritualistic function, mimicking celestial movements, and a practical one, managing the flow of rainwater through a series of interconnected stone cisterns.