Searching with georadar ancient T’hó, a Mayan city underneath the modern Merida, Yucatan

Abstract

T’hó –a Mayan city cited in historical documents – has been discovered and is now a topic in current archaeological discussions and research topics due to a joint UNAM and UADY research project. This project encompassed several steps, including the recording of material recovered from the city’s subsoil while monitoring urban infrastructure programs, as well as the study of historical documents and maps and finally verifying hypothesis by using georadar. After surveying almost 17 km of paved streets in downtown Merida, we realized that it was possible to recognize three main deposit layers underlying the area. The uppermost layer showed modern fillings and urban infrastructure, the intermediate layer had pre-Hispanic cultural remains, and the deepest one included limestone bedrock. This study constitutes the first attempt to create a map of the remains underlying downtown Merida City in order to know and preserve its archaeological patrimony.

Keywords

• georadar
• urban archaeology
• merida
• t’hó mayan city
• archaeological prospection
• sink holes or cenotes