The archaeological site Guiengola, once believed to be a fortress, has been revealed as a significant urban settlement built by the Zapotec civilization around the 15th century. Utilizing airborne lidar technology, researchers uncovered buildings, including elite residences and temples, hidden beneath a dense forest canopy. Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis, a researcher on the project, highlights that the site offers insights into urban life just before European contact, contradicting previous perceptions solely focused on its defensive heritage during an Aztec siege.
In my research, we discovered that what we thought was a fortress, was a whole urban settlement, with elite residences, temple-pyramids and commoner neighborhoods.
Up to my project, people only knew this site as a fortress, and nothing more. However, since the 19th century, explorers and archaeologists have visited the site, revealing hints that it was more than just a fortress.
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