A long-lost city has been unearthed deep in the rain forest, in the heart of Mosquitia, Honduras’ wild, marshy, and mainly unexplored region. For nearly a century, explorers have been searching for the mythical “Casa Blanca” and the Monkey God, a refuge where local people might hide from the conquistadors.
The city of the Monkey God was described as a Garden of Eden from which no one ever returned. For almost a century, explorers and prospectors have reported tales of witnessing the white ramparts rising above the jungle undergrowth. Eventually, it was identified during an aerial scan in 2012.
The Honduran military escorted a team of Colorado State University archeologists to the site, where they began measuring and mapping the metropolis that flourished here a thousand years ago. To keep it safe from looters, the site’s location hasn’t been divulged, but it did produce a stunning trove of amazing stone sculptures located at the foot of an earthen pyramid.
Sculptures include stone jars with snakes, vultures, and animal-like forms, as well as ceremonial chairs connected with shamans.
According to Christopher Fisher, a Mesoamerican archaeologist, the site’s immaculate, unlooted state was “extremely unique.”
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