Archaeological Travel: Peruvian Pyramid Discovered Using Satellite Data

Where: Peru

October 4, 2008 at 12:54 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that there's still lots of cool stuff we haven't yet discovered in this world. Italian researchers announced on Friday that they had found an ancient adobe pyramid along the river Nazca, near Peru's Cahuachi Desert, along with two other structures that have yet to be identified. The three structures were likely built by the Nazca civilization, who occupied the area from about 100 B.C. to 500 A.D., when a series of disasters forced them to abandon what appears to be the world's largest mud city.

Over forty mounds have been unearthed so far - mostly by old school archaeological bushwhacking - but what makes the latest discovery interesting is the decidedly 21st century method used by researchers. Data from the satellite Quickbird was analyzed to contrast adobe from the surrounding subsoil, a notoriously difficult task, revealing a pyramid with a 300- by 328-foot base, four terraces, and seven levels.

If previously-unearthed structures are any guide, researchers will find evidence of human sacrifices and ancient religious rites in the newly-discovered pyramid. Here's hoping they don't get sucked into some kind of ancient netherworld, and if they do, they remember to take plenty of video.

[Photo: Discovery Channel]

Related Stories:
· Ancient Peru Pyramid Spotted By Satellite [Discovery Channel]
· Pyramid Coverage [Jaunted]

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Tags: Pyramids / Archaeological Tourism / Archaeology / → All Tags