In search of the Kan Dynasty Tombs & the Snake Kings

Researchers discovered El Mirador in 1926, but so far, only a small part of it has been studied. It is practically inaccessible to tourists, yet, it is the largest city of the ancient Mayans, full of secrets, mysteries and hidden treasures.

El Mirador strikes your imagination instantly. In terms of development, it can be compared with ancient Mexican cultural centers like Teotihuacan. It was the greatest of all Mayan cities. Here, archaeologists opened up the parts of constructions, explored them and buried them back. Therefore, when you stand on top of the largest pyramid La Danta there is only an endless sea of the jungle around.
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El Mirador was first discovered in 1926, photographed from the air in 1930, but the remoteness and inaccessibility of the place did not contribute to attracting the attention of researchers.

El Mirador is huge, with thousands of pyramids, monuments, treasures, and secrets hidden among the trees. The ancient Mayan metropolis is lost in the depths of the jungle of northern Guatemala: its location near the Mexican border in a dense forest and the lack of infrastructure make it practically inaccessible to tourists, and except for archaeologists it is visited by only 100 people a year.

This metropolis is the center of the Empire that is rumored to have created the most powerful alliance in Mayan culture's history – the snakes – who, experts believe, moved from place to place, creating mega-cities and implementing the harshest of regimes, yet their bodies have not been uncovered.

Josh Gates, an American television producer and author travels the world and explores the most famous legends and myths. Each of his expeditions covers a historical mystery. In 2019, together with archaeologist Dr. Richard Hansen, he visited El Mirador before creating the “Expedition Unknown” documentary for Discovery UK. This episode was devoted to the search of the Kan Dynasty (Snake Kings) Tombs in the lost city of El Mirador.

During their search, scientists used Lidar or 3D laser scanning technology, which has terrestrial and laser altimetry. The plan was to fly a lidar drone over the trees to uncover the passways and buildings beneath the foliage. The results were more than miraculous! They have found a huge complex, which has never been discovered before, and later archaeologists unearthed hidden burial there. Dr. Richard Hansen believes it could be one of the snake kings.

Satellite imagery helped scientists make another discovery - an ancient network of highways hidden in the tropical forest of Guatemala. 2000 years old - the age that makes it the oldest road for transportation in the world.

Therefore, if you want to feel like the pioneers - El Mirador, full of secrets and unexplored routes, is what you need!

However, if you cannot travel, join Josh Gates on his trips online and study the secrets of history with him! You will discover mysteries of the Bermuda triangle, visit the Dyatlov’s pass in the Ural Mountains, trying to solve the coldest case of nine hikers, who mysteriously died over 60 years ago, and a lot more! Explore the Expedition Unknown series on YouTube and choose the adventure you like the most.

“If travel has momentum and wants to stay in motion, as I mentioned earlier, then adventure has the gravitational pull of a black hole. The more you do it, the more you find a way to keep doing it.” Josh Gates