Abembi bezinto zakudala eGuatemala baye bafumana ingcwaba lamaMaya elingaqhelekanga ukususela kwixesha lakudala (lowama-350 CE), ekusenokwenzeka ukuba lelokumkani owayengaziwa ngaphambili. Ifunyenwe kwindawo ye-archaeological ye-Chochkitam kwihlathi lemvula lasePeten, ingcwaba lakhupha ubuncwane beminikelo yomngcwabo, kubandakanya imaski eqaqambileyo ye-jade mosaic.
Ukusebenzisa iteknoloji yokuvalela kude (lidar), abaphandi abakhokelwa nguDkt Francisco Estrada-Belli bafumana ingcwaba. Ngaphakathi, batyhila imaski yejade emangalisayo, ehonjiswe kuyilo lwemosaic. Kukholelwa ukuba isigqubuthelo sobuso sibonisa uthixo wesaqhwithi samaMaya. Ukongeza, ingcwaba liqulathe ngaphezulu kwe-16 iigobolondo ezinqabileyo ze-mollusk kunye neefemurs ezininzi zabantu ezibhalwe nge-hieroglyphs.
Imaski yejade ifana nezinye ezifumaneka kwiindawo zamandulo zamaMaya, ngakumbi ezo zisetyenziselwa ukungcwatywa kwasebukhosini. Ubukho bayo bubonisa ukuba ukumkani ongasekhoyo wayenegunya nempembelelo enkulu.
Ngexesha lolawulo lokumkani, iChochkitam yayisisixeko esiphakathi esinezakhiwo zikawonke-wonke ezithozamileyo. Baphakathi kwe-10,000 15,000 ne-10,000 XNUMX abantu ababehlala kweso sixeko, yaye abanye abali-XNUMX XNUMX bahlala kwimimandla ekufutshane.
Abaphandi baceba ukwenza uhlalutyo lwe-DNA kwiintsalela ezifunyenwe engcwabeni ukuze kukhanye ukuba ngubani ukumkani. Ukugrunjwa okuqhubekayo kuyaqhubeka, kukho ithemba lokutyhila ubuncwane obufihlwe ngakumbi kwesi sixeko saseMaya esintsonkothileyo.
