Advanced LiDAR mapping has peeled back the dense canopy of the Guatemalan jungle to reveal a previously unknown Maya city specialized in the production of obsidian weaponry. Named 'The Obsidian Citadel' by researchers, the site features a unique fortified industrial sector with thousands of specialized workshops and residential clusters.
The discovery suggests that the Itza Maya maintained a centralized monopoly on volcanic glass trade long after the collapse of the southern lowland cities. The presence of massive defensive walls and raised causeways connecting the workshops indicates that the site was a high-value strategic asset during the Terminal Classic period.