BENEATH the deep jungles in the remote tangles of a Mexican peninsula lies an ancient hidden city that almost got lost in time. Left untouched for almost 1,000 years, Ocomtún was seemingly impossible to find and its groundbreaking - and fascinating - discovery is now challenging the history we know. A clever team of scientists led by Dr Ivan Ṡprajc were able to discover the remains of the extraordinary Maya city in 2023 after battling through vast jungles and trekking miles of dodgy hills.
But what they found next was nothing short of extraordinary. Experts could not believe their eyes when they discovered 417 smaller cities in the area that date back to 1000 BC. But what surprised them even more was the extensive labyrinth of roadways connecting each to these cities.
Dubbed "superhighways", researchers now claim the 110 miles of maze was the "first freeway system in the world". Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) who revealed the news to the world, labelled the discovery as "monumental". Mr Ṡprajc, who was once described as the "real-life Indiana Jones" by The Guardian, said: "The biggest surprise turned out to be the site located on a 'peninsula' of high ground, surrounded by extensive wetlands.
"Its monumental nucleus covers more than 50 hectares and has various large buildings, including several pyramidal structures over 15 metres high." Boasting remains of several huge pyramid-like structures, three plazas with "imposing buildings" and pl.
