How an ancient city was recently discovered

A story, quote and lesson about finding what’s hidden in plain sight

The real treasure lies beneath the surface

East of Dos Lagunas in southern Mexico, a dense wall of tangled roots and branches forms an impenetrable barrier. But just beyond this wall, hidden in the jungle until recently, lies a forgotten Mayan city—its vast plazas, towering pyramids, and ancient residences now finally revealed by a team of archaeologists using cutting-edge lidar technology.

In October 2024, researchers like Marcello Canuto and Luke Auld-Thomas from Tulane University marveled at their discovery. To them, Valeriana, as they named it, was a perfect vision of a Maya city: temples, reservoirs, residential areas, and sprawling causeways—all concealed by a cloak of undisturbed vegetation.

The team expressed a sense of humility, emphasizing how easily things just beyond our immediate view can go unnoticed. There lay a city, almost forgotten and buried under centuries of overgrowth, only a short distance (15 minutes) rom a major highway, yet hidden from sight.

Lidar image showing the discovery of the hidden city Valeriana. Credit: Luke Auld-Thomas Et Al, via Reuters

The team discovered Valeriana not by stumbling upon it on foot, but through persistence and curiosity. After hearing about other researchers using lidar, an aerial scanning technology that penetrates dense forest canopies, Auld-Thomas decided to dig into old data, wondering what he might find. And just like that, he unearthed a sprawling ancient city beneath the jungle’s cover.

“It’s humbling how easy it is not to know what’s just another 100 meters beyond what you can see when the forest is intact.” 

Marcello Canuto, an archaeologist at Tulane University and one of the researchers who have documented the site

In the same way, our lives can build up layers that conceal who we once were or dreamed of becoming. Over time, as we navigate careers, relationships, and routines, many of our original passions or hobbies become obscured, left to fade behind the “foliage” of everyday responsibilities.

In our own lives, rediscovering hidden interests or passions often requires a similar blend of curiosity and openness. Sometimes it means examining past experiences, looking back at what once brought joy or sparked fascination. By taking a fresh perspective—through “scanning” our memories or experimenting with old hobbies—we may find what’s been lying hidden just beyond the surface.

So now I ask you:

What interests or hobbies might be waiting to be rediscovered in your life? What passions lie hidden under the “foliage” of your daily routine?

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