600-Year-Old lost Zapotec City found in Mexico

The city, called Guiengola, is located in the state of Oaxaca, approximately 17 miles from the Pacific Ocean. For centuries, a thick forest concealed its true scale. New research by archaeologist Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis of McGill University in Canada has revealed that the city spanned 360 hectares and contained more than 1,100 structures, including temples, ball courts, and living quarters for different social groups.

Guiengola was a fortified settlement, enclosed by 2.5 miles of walls that protected it from invaders. Despite being over five centuries old, much of the city remains intact.

The city’s strategic mountain location provided natural defenses, but the Zapotecs eventually abandoned it. Evidence suggests they relocated to Tehuantepec, a nearby town where their descendants continue to live.

By the late 1400s, the Zapotecs had secured control of Oaxaca’s Pacific Coast while resisting expansion by the powerful Aztec Empire. One of the most significant battles occurred at Guiengola when Aztec emperor Ahuizotl led a seven-month siege.

“This was especially remarkable following a lengthy, seven-month siege, led by Aztec emperor Ahuizotl, at Guiengola,” Ramón Celis noted.

Guiengola remained hidden beneath dense vegetation for centuries, making it nearly impossible to study on foot. That changed with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), a technology that uses laser pulses to create detailed 3D landscape maps.

Although the site could be reached on foot, the tree canopy made it impossible to see its full extent, Ramón Celis explained. Until recently, it would have taken years to explore everything on the ground.

LiDAR uncovered the city’s complete layout by scanning the terrain from the air. The data allowed researchers to identify social hierarchies, indicating that structures such as temples and ritual ball courts were reserved for the elite, while commoners lived in separate districts.