Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• Archaeologists discovered a Maya settlement buried in a mound deep in the Mexican jungle.
• Experts dated the pre-Hispanic site to between 250 C.E. and 900 C.E. and said its architectural designs are consistent with the Petén style.
• Vaults, a mural, and architectural detailing highlight the 80 structures discovered at the Quintana Roo location.

Archaeologists dug into a mound in the Mexican jungle in Quintana Roo, exposing an 80-building Maya settlement featuring distinct architecture styles, monumental buildings, and even a decorative mural.

The ancient settlement, which is known as the El Jefeciño site, covers nearly 250 acres but might be even larger, according to a translated statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Dated to the Early or Late Classic Maya period between 250 C.E. and 900 C.E., a time when the Petén architectural style developed, the monumental buildings are characterized by large-scaled vaulted structures with rounded, recessed corners and apron moldings.

Following its initial discovery by a local Tren Maya Archaeological Rescue Project, the INAH investigated and revealed that the pre-Hispanic El Jefeciño settlement contained 80 separate structures. The research team believes that the settlement was built in multiple primary phases. The oldest phase produced the signature apron molding of the Petén style, the second phase saw the creation of a mural-adorned building, and the third features a structure with evidence of a collapsed staircase. “Given the size of the buildings, we infer that there must be at least four to five construction phases,” the archaeologists said in the statement.

“We were able to observe what appears to be the core area,” archaeologist Blancas Olvera added. The five main buildings range in height from 36 to 46 feet and run as long as 131 feet in length. The monuments were arranged to form a C-shaped plaza, Olvera said.

The Petén style is known for its monuments and Maya vaults, another feature found through El Jefeciño, with at least three Maya vaults located within the buildings. The vaults were made using an arch system that involves two opposing sets of overlapping corbels resembling an inverted staircase. The structural technique used in these vaults, which was common in Babylonian architecture as well as Maya architecture, creates great strength to support loads above it.

One building at the site featured traces of stucco with a mural painting, along with fragments of human skeletal remains. Olvera said it’s possible that all these elements might belong to a burial context. Ojeda Gonzalez, part of the archaeological team, said the mural is in a decorative style and not a narrative style, featuring pigments of white and orange with red bands.

The archaeological team didn’t work to salvage any artifacts, leaving everything in place. They also don’t plan an in-depth analysis of the discovered materials. While they noted that the settlement could turn out to be much larger if they took a more in-depth and detailed approach to excavation, the next step includes mapping the site using LiDAR technology to better understand the settlement pattern.

Future exploration of the Maya settlement tucked into the Quintana Roo jungle could yield answers about how it fits into the region’s network of settlements, while expanding knowledge regarding ancient Maya culture in the southern part of the state.