Doha: Archaeologists in northern Guatemala have discovered a Mayan city dating back to more than 2,800 years, providing insights into a deeper understanding of this pre-Iberian civilization. The Guatemalan Ministry of Culture said in a statement that the city was discovered 21 kilometers from the Uaxactun archaeological site, in the Peten province, near Mexico. According to Qatar News Agency, this is the main archaeological site in Guatemala and one of the most visited. The site, which extends over an area of approximately 16 square kilometers, dates back to the Middle Preclassic period (800-500 BC) and is considered one of the oldest and most important ceremonial centers of this period of Mayan civilization in the forested Peten region. The ministry noted that the site "is distinguished by its striking architectural design," including pyramids, astronomical observatories, and monuments "carved using a technique unique to the region." The city was named "Los Abuelos," meaning "the ancestors," due to the dis covery of two anthropomorphic sculptures "representing a couple" of ancestors, dating back to between 500 and 300 BC. In addition to the city, another area known as "Petnal" was discovered, containing a 33-meter-high pyramid decorated with Preclassic wall paintings, as well as a site called "Cambral," characterized by a "unique aqueduct system" for transporting water. The statement said that "these three sites together form a previously unknown urban triangle," and their discovery "allows us to revisit our understanding of the ceremonial, social, and political organization of the Peten region during the Iberian period." It is worth noting that the Maya people represented one of the most important Iberian civilizations in the Americas and made significant contributions to human development, including the discovery of the number zero. The Maya people also created an advanced writing system and a calendar that continues to amaze archaeologists and astronomers. Among the most prominent aspects of the Maya lega cy are the cultivation of corn and cocoa. In Guatemala, 22 ethnic groups trace their origins to the Maya, representing 42 percent of its population of 18 million. The Maya civilization dominated the lands that now constitute southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. It dates back to at least 2000 BC and reached its peak during the Classic Period, between 400 and 450 AD.