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A “were-jaguar” effigy, likely representing a combination of a human and spirit animal, is part of a still-buried ceremonial seat, discovered in a cache in ruins deep in the Honduran jungle.

Honduras to Begin Investigations of Ancient Jungle Ruins Believed to be the Legendary White City

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The President of Honduras has announced that scientists will begin exploring an ancient archaeological site in the jungle where they believe the legendary ‘White City’, otherwise known as ‘City of the Monkey God’, is located. 

Two years ago, an aerial search of the dense jungle of Honduras fuelled by local legends of a lost ancient city, revealed miles of seemingly man-made features. Announcements quickly spread that archaeologists had found La Ciudad Blanca (“The White City”). But all they had to go on were vague scans of the jungle below. An initial ground expedition followed up with an investigation early last year, dramatically revealed that the aerial images did indeed show traces of a lost civilization, including extensive plazas, earthworks, mounds, an earthen pyramid, and dozens of finely carved artifacts belonging to a mysterious culture that is virtually unknown.

Agence France-Presse has reported that a major archaeological dig will now be undertaken to excavate the ruins and discover the extent of the site, and whether it is indeed the fabled White City.

"Today a group of archeologists and scientists is traveling to the White City to start excavations in coming days," President Juan Orlando Hernandez said in a speech to private universities.

Ancient ruins have been found in the jungle of Honduras (pictured).

Ancient ruins have been found in the jungle of Honduras (pictured). Credit: DAR

Legends of a Lost City

La Ciudad Blanca is a legendary city that was said to be located in the virgin rainforest of Mosquitia in eastern Honduras. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés reported hearing "trustworthy" information about the ancient ruins, but never located them. In 1927, pilot Charles Lindbergh reported seeing monuments constructed from white stone while flying over eastern Honduras.  

By the 1930s, there were rumors of a place in Honduras called the "City of the Monkey God", which was equated with Ciudad Blanca, and in 1939 adventurer Theodore Morde claimed to have found it and brought thousands of artifacts back to the United States to prove it. According to Morde, the indigenous people said a giant statue of a monkey god was buried there. He never revealed the precise location of his find as he feared the site would be looted, and he died before returning to the site for a proper excavation.

Artist Virgil Finlay's conceptional drawing of Theodore Moore's "Lost City of the Monkey God".

Artist Virgil Finlay's conceptional drawing of Theodore Moore's "Lost City of the Monkey God". Originally published in The American Weekly, September 22, 1940 (Public Domain)

In 1952, explorer Tibor Sekelj searched for The White City on an expedition financed by the Ministry of Culture of Honduras, but returned empty handed. Investigations picked up pace in the 1990s following reports of the legend in popular media and in 2012 the first significant discovery was made.

Aerial Survey Reveals Man-Made Monuments

In May 2012, a team of researchers led by documentary film maker Steve Elkins, conducted an aerial survey in la Mosquitia, Honduras, using remote sensing technology (LiDAR). The scan revealed evidence of man-made features stretching for more than a mile through the valley, leading to a flurry of media interest in the possible discovery of the Lost City of the Monkey God. But the association was quickly criticized by archeologist Rosemary Joyce as hype. In May 2013, additional LiDAR analysis identified large architectural features under the forest canopy. It was time for a ground exploration to confirm the results.

3D digital topological map in Honduras shows a man-made plaza ringed in red.

3D digital topological map in Honduras shows a man-made plaza ringed in red. Credit: The University of Houston and National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

Ground Exploration Confirms Existence of Ancient Ruins

A team of archaeologists led by Christopher Fisher, an expert on Mesoamerica from Colorado State University, completed a ground survey of the site identified by aerial scanning and announced the exciting news in March last year that they found an extensive complex made up of earthworks, plazas, pyramids, irrigation canals, reservoirs, mounds, and stone sculptures that have lain untouched since the city was abandoned centuries, perhaps even millennia, ago.

“In contrast to the nearby Maya, this vanished culture has been scarcely studied and it remains virtually unknown,” reported National Geographic. “Archaeologists don't even have a name for it.”

The team located 52 artifacts that were protruding from the earth, including stone ceremonial seats and vessels decorated with animal and zoomorphic figures.

National Geographic reported:

“The most striking object emerging from the ground is the head of what Fisher speculated might be a were-jaguar, possibly depicting a shaman in a transformed, spirit state. Alternatively, the artifact might be related to ritualized ball games that were a feature of pre-Columbian life in Mesoamerica.”

However, they believe thousands more may lie buried beneath the surface. It is hoped that the new excavation that is about to begin may unearth many of these relics, and be able to determine their age.  The President of Honduras said investigations will begin by examining what is beneath the soil.

Featured image: A “were-jaguar” effigy, likely representing a combination of a human and spirit animal, is part of a still-buried ceremonial seat, discovered in a cache in ruins deep in the Honduran jungle. Credit: Dave Yoder / National Geographic.

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