Archaeologists uncover major Mayan city El Yesal in Yucatan

A significant Mayan city, identified as El Yesal, has been uncovered in the Balam Kú biosphere reserve in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula by a team led by Slovenian archaeologist Dr. Ivan Šprajc. The discovery, made shortly after finding another Mayan settlement called Minanbé, sheds new light on the region's ancient history.

El Yesal spans over a square kilometer, a size previously unrecognized despite occasional visits by researchers. Šprajc estimates it ranks among the largest Mayan cities found in the central Yucatan lowlands. The city's scale was initially inferred from LiDAR scans, which provide detailed terrain mapping.

Research, supported by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and funded by various Slovenian and American organizations, utilized photogrammetry to reconstruct a damaged stela. Epigrapher Octavio Esparza Olguín identified a ruler depicted on the stela, possibly holding an object related to the Mayan god of thunder and lightning, Jopaat.

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Šprajc estimates that it is one of the largest Mayan cities in the central Yucatan lowlands.

The city features a prominent rectangular acropolis, measuring 150 meters on each side and rising 15 meters above the surrounding landscape. This acropolis is crowned by four pyramids, the tallest reaching 27 meters. Architecturally, it resembles structures found at the Edzná site.

Preliminary ceramic analysis indicates the acropolis and associated buildings date back to the Preclassic period (600 BCE - 250 CE). The city appears to have expanded northward and remained inhabited at least through the end of the Classic period, around 900 CE.

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Šprajc emphasizes that El Yesal (was) one of the largest Mayan cities in the central Yucatan lowlands.