Valeriana

Valeriana is an ancient Maya city in Campeche’s tropical rainforest near Xpujil, identified through lidar and announced in 2024. Spanning about 120 square kilometres with more than 6,500 structures, it included plazas, temple pyramids, a ballcourt, and a dammed reservoir, marking it as a major urban centre. Its architecture resembles that of the Chactún-Tamchen area, and its building density has been considered second only to Calakmul in the region. Founded before 150 AD, it likely peaked in the Classic period, when it may have held 30,000 to 50,000 people. Valeriana shows that central Campeche supported dense, interconnected Maya urban landscapes in a heavily modified environment.

Campeche · Mexico