New LiDAR surveys conducted over the dense forests of northern Guatemala have revealed a massive lost urban center centered around a unique ceremonial gateway. The site, which dates back to the Late Pre-Classic period, features a sophisticated grid-based urban layout previously thought to be rare in early Maya lowland settlements before the Classic era.
The central gateway, a towering limestone structure decorated with celestial iconography and jaguar motifs, appears to have served as the primary entry point for pilgrims traveling to nearby ritual sites. Researchers emphasize that the discovery of such an extensive urban grid suggests a level of centralized planning and population density that challenges traditional models of early Maya social organization and territorial control.