Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Australia
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Australia
  3. 2021
  4. January 18
  5. Ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul surrounded by the jungle, Campeche, Mexico
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul surrounded by the jungle, Campeche, Mexico

January 18, 2021

Ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul surrounded by the jungle, Campeche, Mexico

© Alfredo Matus/Shutterstoc

The ruins of a Mayan superpower

Deep in the jungle of southern Mexico lay the ruins of a city that thrived for centuries before it was abandoned more than 1,000 years ago. Calakmul was once one of the two duelling superpowers - along with Tikal - of the Classical Mayan civilisation. At its height, around 1,200 years ago, the city of Calakmul had a population of about 50,000 people, but the kingdom as a whole numbered more than 1.5 million. Archaeologists have uncovered 6,750 structures here - the largest is this pyramid temple, called, simply, 'Structure 2'. It's one of the tallest and most massive remaining structures from that highly advanced culture. The ruins of the city proper cover more than 20 square kilometres in the jungle and the kingdom once ruled over settlements as far as 144 kilometres away.

All the more amazing, then, that it was apparently lost to history until an American botanist named Cyrus L. Lundell discovered it when flying over the jungle on a survey of the area in December 1931. A few expeditions were sent to explore it over the next few years, but it went largely unstudied until the 1980s. Calakmul is now recognised as one of the most important archaeological sites in southern Mexico.

tree outdoor landscape nature sky cloud green lush hillside

Related Images

Marsala salt pans, ItalyMarsala salt pans, Italy
Roman-inspired aqueduct, Arkadia Park, PolandRoman-inspired aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland National Park, EnglandHadrian's Wall, Northumberland National Park, England
Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, PortugalMilky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, Portugal
Sunset in Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, IrelandSunset in Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
Temples on Hemakuta Hill, Hampi, Karnataka, IndiaTemples on Hemakuta Hill, Hampi, Karnataka, India
North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Amrum Island, GermanyNorth Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Amrum Island, Germany
Sunrise at a vineyard in Bordeaux, FranceSunrise at a vineyard in Bordeaux, France

Today on Bing

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Jan 18, 2023
Burghausen town and Salzach river, Bavaria, Germany

Burghausen town and Salzach river, Bavaria, Germany

Jan 18, 2022
Backcountry adventurer Alex Peterson speed riding on the south side of Mount Hood, Oregon

Backcountry adventurer Alex Peterson speed riding on the south side of Mount Hood, Oregon

Jan 18, 2020
Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida

Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida

Jan 18, 2019
Old Town in Prague, Czech Republic

Old Town in Prague, Czech Republic

Jan 18, 2018
Bora Bora in the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia

Bora Bora in the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia

Jan 18, 2017

Related Tags

landscape outdoor sky nature cloud tree grass plant sunset water sunrise autumn beach sun lake shore forest wooded lush rock
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
Download 4K Ultra HD
Download 1920x1080
  • © 2023 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.