Researchers Discover Two Ancient Mayan Cities In Mexico

Archaeologists traveling through southeastern Mexico announced Friday that they had discovered two ancient Mayan cities, and believe "dozens" more could be found in the area.

The two cities, named Lagunita and Tamchen, were discovered on the Yucatan Peninsula by a team of Slovenian researchers earlier this year. The group, a part of the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, has said it believes "dozens" more of the small cities exist in the area of southeastern Mexico.

Ivan Sprajc, associate professor at the research center, said these most recent Mayan cities were discovered by aerial photography. Sprajc believes more will be discovered in the future, when his group gathers more funding.

"There are dozens of sites that I already have seen on the aerial photographs," he said.

Some of the aerial photographs show extraordinary details of the Mayan cities, including a 65-foot pyramid and a doorway that is built to represent the mouth of a monster. Spracj told Reuters that such a unique doorway probably had spiritual significance to the Mayan civilization.

"The entrance apparently symbolizes the entrance to a cave and to the underworld […] Someone entering through this doorway would have entered sacred precincts," the researcher said.

According to the Yucatan Times, the gaping monster mouth was meant to represent water, fertility, and the underworld. At the Lagunitas site, researchers also discovered 10 trails that connect various buildings, as well as a Mayan ball game court. The sites have yet to be excavated.