Not long after archaeologists discovered a lost city hidden in a remote area of Cambodia a similar find has been unearthed in Mexico as well. The settlement is believed to date back as far as 600 AD and was once one of the largest cities in the Mayan Empire.

A team of researchers first spotted the ancient site in ariel photographs but had to actually get on site to confirm their speculation of a hidden Mayan city located in the Yucatan region. It took a group of explorers three weeks to hack their way through ten miles of jungle just to reach the place that they call "Chactun," but when they got there, their efforts were well rewarded.

The archaeologists have only just begun to clear the site but they have already found a stunning array of structures. So far the site spans some 54 acres with stone structures stretching out across the area. They have discovered 15 pyramids so far, the tallest of which is over 75 feet in height. They've even discovered a couple of ball courts used in a Mayan sport that is not unlike basketball. The inclusion of such buildings indicate that this was an important city that likely had a population of between 30,000 and 40,000 people at its height.

Researchers are hoping that the city can provide some clues as to what happened to the Mayans. Ranging from 600 AD to 900 AD they were the dominant civilization in the region. But after that they started to decline very rapidly and it didn't take long for the empire to collapse. Exactly why that happened remains a mystery.

The journey to find this lost city must have been like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. The team that made their way through the Yucatan jungles no doubt faced some serious challenges on their way to the site. Taking three weeks to cover ten miles must have tested their resolve at times but their persistence payed off and when they arrived in Chactun they were rewarded with an amazing find.

I continue to marvel at these stories and I love that we're still discovering things like the city in Mexico and the one in Cambodia. I would love to be a part of either of these teams as they explore these ancient sites. Who knows what wonders they'll uncover at either location and how they will impact our understanding of our ancient ancestors.

Australian archaeologists using high tech equipment have discovered a lost city in Cambodia that had been swallowed up by the jungle and forgotten for more than 1200 years. The city was found using a sophisticated airborne surveillance systems called Lidar – which stands for light detection and ranging data. Mounted on a helicopter, the device uses lasers to penetrate the dense jungle canopy below, giving researchers an opportunity to discover things they wouldn't have been able to find on their own.

The city, which was built during the European Middle Ages, is named Mahendraparvata and is said to pre-date the famous Angkor Wat ruins by as many as 350 years. It is believed to have been built by the Hindu-Buddhist Khmer Empire between 800 and 1400 AD. Previously there had been a few scattered ruins and artifacts discovered, but through the use of Lidar, the team behind the discovery were able to see just how massive and sprawling the Mahendraparvata complex truly is.

It is believed that the city was once surrounded by a large, open space without vegetation. In fact, deforestation may have led to the decline and fall of the city more than 1000 years ago. But without anyone to keep the jungle at bay, it was able to reclaim its lost lands over time. The jungle was so efficient in fact that it completely covered the area and made it difficult for anyone to discover the site, let alone trek to the place.

After using their high tech arial mapping techniques to determine the scope of the city, an adventurous group of explorers actually went out to see it for themselves. They've only just started to uncover the vast amount of buildings that must make up the site, but so far they've found two temples that are nearly intact as well as a cave filled with strange inscriptions and carvings.

It will of course take years to uncover the entire place and begin to see what is underneath. But I thought that this story was cool for the mere fact that I would have loved to have been amongst the team that went and visited the city on foot. Talk about a true adventure, that is something right out of an Indiana Jones movie.

The video below captures some images and footage from Mahendraparvata. Interesting stuff.