Legendary lost city of gold Ciudad Blanca may have been found buried in Honduran rainforest
- From: News Corp Australia Network
- May 16, 2013
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are poring over advanced LiDAR images of the Honduran rainforest, pondering if the results reveal an ancient lost city.
The legendary "White City" of Ciudad Blanca was one of the "cities of gold" conquistador Hernando Cortes led an expedition to find in the 1500s.
LiveScience reports archaeologists and filmmakers Bill Beneson and Steven Elkins began their search for the legendary lost city in Honduras' Mosquitia region last year.
Unlike Cortes' who had little more than eyes, rumours and machetes, the new team is using LiDAR imaging technology that uses lasers to penetrate the forest canopy to analyse the terrain beneath.
A light plane has been flying low over 120sq/km of likely forest, firing billions of laser pulses at the ground to create a 3D digital map.
New images reveal unusual features that could be ancient ruins. The features exposed could be buildings, canals, roads and terraced farm land.
The University of Houston archaeologists are expected to discuss their findings at the American Geophysical Union Meeting of the Americas, in Cancun, later today.