Teen discovers lost Mayan city

Did a 15-year-old boy really discover the remains of a Mayan city?

Recently it was reported that William Gadoury, a teenager from Quebec, Canada, might have discovered an ancient settlement, hidden in the depths of the Mexican jungle.

Using maps and charts, William spotted a link between the ancient civilisation’s settlements and the stars – they lined up!

Checking locations against a map of Maya constellations, he discovered one city was missing from a constellation of three stars.

Teen discovers lost Mayan city
Image: Canadian Space Agency

After studying satellite images from the Canadian Space Agency and Google Earth, he noticed some strange shapes lying beneath the jungle canopy – wow!

However, critics are undecided as to whether the teen really has made an ancient discovery. 

Daniel De Lisle, a scientist from the Canadian Space Agency said: “There are linear features that would suggest there is something underneath that big canopy.”

Teen discovers lost Mayan city
Image: Canadian Space Agency

While Dr Armand La Roque from the University of New Brunswick said, “A square is not natural, it is mostly artificial and can hardly be attributed to natural phenomena.

“If we add these together, we have a lot of indication there might be a Mayan city in the area.”

But not everyone agrees. Geoffrey Braswell, a mesoamerican archaeologist at UC San Diego, said the two rectangular features are probably weed-filled, abandoned fields. 

Teen discovers lost Mayan city
Image: Canadian Space Agency
Image: Canadian Space Agency

Experts have also cast doubt over William’s theory that the Maya built their cities according to the stars.

Anthony Aveni, an expert in archaeoastronomy (the study of how past civilisations understood the sky) says that the lack of a complete list of Maya constellations makes William’s theory hard to test.

Whatever the outcome, William’s findings are due to be published in a scientific journal, and he’ll get to present them at Brazil’s International Science Fair in 2017 – go William!

What do you think to this story? Has William discovered a lost ancient city? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment, below!

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COMMENTS

  • Giraffe

    He has discovered the lost Maya civilisation which died because of Spanish invaders.

  • liv3127

    to cool!

  • Indi

    "ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!"

  • bunny101

    This is awesome!

  • HarryHill

    Mega

  • Gregor

    cool

  • d14n40

    Amazing!!!

  • LittlePinksPhotos

    Awesome! Lets hope its real! :D

  • nzinga

    great

  • GabrielVN

    Wow so cool

  • emmata2oo4

    wow!

  • Niall

    Cool!

  • ManMen

    Great! Yes!

  • BLACKFIRE227

    Amazing!

  • OYIN

    instead of scientist a teenager

  • buffy2005

    wow thats amazing I hope he has.

  • damion

    wow

  • minewatk

    I can not believe it.

  • CROCOMONK

    SOUNDS AMAZING! I wish I could have discovered an ancient city! I wonder how long it took to find it... from croco monk 8

  • kunasekaram

    wow

  • NG_Guy94

    Yes, I think he has

  • Person

    How amazing!!

  • Person

    Cool!!!!!!!

  • IloveMyhamsterandDogandLondon_897697_ChittyChittyBangBang

    It must be so amazing finding that- if it is what everyones excited about! Read about this in the bbc news xD

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