Stone constructions found in Kanasín led archaeologists to a city occupied between the years 600 and 900, where about 4,000 people lived among palaces, residences, workshops, and ceremonial areas
The land seemed destined only to receive warehouses, internal roads, and other structures of an industrial park. During the works carried out in 2018, however, workers found stone blocks and parts of ancient constructions under the soil of Kanasín, a municipality located about 10 kilometers from Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán.
The intervention of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico revealed that the remains were part of Xiol, a Mayan city occupied approximately between the years 600 and 900. The area gathered monumental buildings, smaller residences, workshops, a large square, pyramidal structures, and a cenote.
Archaeologists estimated that more than 4,000 inhabitants could have lived in the settlement. The population included groups of different social positions, from priests, scribes, and leaders to farmers, fishermen, artisans, and workers responsible for the constructions.
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Although the first remains had already been listed in the Archaeological Atlas of Yucatán since 1980, it was the preparation of the industrial land that allowed for the dimensioning of the extent and state of conservation of the ancient city. The discovery gained international repercussion after being publicly presented in May 2022.
Works started in 2018 exposed a city hidden under the industrial land
The exposure of the structures occurred while the company responsible for the property was preparing the area to receive the Skypark industrial complex. Upon noticing the presence of stone walls and platforms, those responsible informed the INAH Yucatán Center, which initiated an archaeological inspection.
As reported by the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, the excavation and architectural restoration work lasted about seven months. Archaeologist Carlos Alberto Peraza Lope and his team initially intervened in eight constructions, six of them grouped around a square and two classified as palace-like buildings.
Subsequent surveys indicated 12 restored structures, 76 bases, and a central square within an area of approximately 21 hectares. Part of the constructions was covered by soil and vegetation, while others preserved stone walls with several meters of extension.
The discovery did not occur in an isolated area of the Yucatán Peninsula. Xiol is within the metropolitan region of Mérida, in a strip pressured by urban expansion, the opening of subdivisions, and the installation of industrial enterprises.
Palaces, pyramids, and dwellings show how about 4,000 people lived
Researchers identified an urban organization composed of monumental areas and residential spaces. The larger buildings could have housed members of the elite, administrative activities, and religious ceremonies, while smaller nearby constructions were used by common residents.
According to Reuters, the city gathered palaces, pyramids, and plazas, as well as houses and workshops distributed throughout the settlement. Carlos Peraza estimated that more than 4,000 people lived in the region during the Late Classic period of the Mayan civilization.
The differences in the size and quality of the constructions indicate a society divided into social groups. Priests, scribes, and leaders likely occupied the more elaborate buildings, while farmers, fishermen, masons, and artisans lived in smaller units.
Marine animal remains found during the excavations suggest that fishing complemented a diet based on agriculture. The relative proximity to the coast allowed fish and other resources to reach the city, despite Xiol being located inland on the peninsula.
Obsidian and flint tools were also recovered. These materials could be used in hunting, food cutting, object manufacturing, and the construction of the buildings themselves.
Architectural style common in the south appeared near Mérida
One of the features that most caught the attention of archaeologists was the presence of the Puuc style, identified in the facades, platforms, and construction techniques. This architectural pattern is associated with cities like Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, and Labná, located further south in Yucatán.
The style uses carefully cut stones, regular walls, columns, friezes, and geometric elements. In larger buildings, the upper part of the facades could receive stone mosaics and representations linked to Mayan beliefs.
The presence of this type of architecture in Xiol expands the knowledge about the distribution of the Puuc style. Until then, constructions with these characteristics were considered less common near Mérida.
The buildings also help demonstrate that the region was not only occupied by small villages. Xiol had a central plaza, monumental constructions, and an estimated population of thousands of people, elements compatible with an organized urban center.
Fifteen burials contained vases, necklaces, and tools
During the excavations, researchers found 15 burials of adults and children. The remains were deposited in areas associated with the foundations and rooms of the constructions.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the tombs contained vases, necklaces, earrings, and other everyday objects. The arrangement of the materials indicates that some of them were placed with the dead as a funerary offering.
Most of the skeletons belonged to adults, but child burials were also identified. Archaeologists raised the possibility that some of these people were relatives of dignitaries or members of groups linked to the larger residences.
Obsidian and flint tools appeared alongside certain burials. These objects can help reconstruct occupations, funerary practices, and social differences among the inhabitants of Xiol.
The Diario de Yucatán also recorded the discovery of 76 foundations, in addition to the 12 restored structures. The set shows that the visible part represents only a fraction of the ancient city, whose occupation extended beyond the main plaza.
A cenote found next to the plaza may hold new vestiges
In the northwest corner of the plaza, the team located a cenote, a natural formation common in Yucatán created by the dissolution of limestone rocks. These cavities provided water for consumption, agriculture, and daily activities.
Cenotes could also have a ritual function. During the site’s presentation, specialists explained that it would be necessary to descend approximately five meters to reach the water and evaluate the interior of the formation.
The investigation of this cavity could reveal ceramics, tools, organic remains, or offerings. However, there is no public confirmation that the Xiol cenote has produced new findings since the announcement made in 2022.
Industrial park continued, but project needed to preserve the ruins
The identification of the city did not result in the complete cancellation of the industrial park. The planning was adapted to preserve the constructions and allow the continuation of archaeological research within the private property.
The landowners financed part of the excavations and provided resources for the INAH team. The decision allowed the main buildings to be conserved instead of removing them to clear the entire area.
In a publication released in February 2025, the Skypark administrator stated that they have collaborated with INAH since 2019 to rescue and protect the remains found in the development. The material confirms that the archaeological area remains linked to the industrial complex.
The case shows how private works can reveal sites that were already registered but had never been studied in depth. In the Mérida region, many remains have been damaged or disappeared during decades of urban expansion.
The opening announced for 2022 still does not appear in the official list of INAH
When Xiol was presented to the public, Mexican authorities reported that free guided tours could start by the end of 2022. The expectation was to transform part of the site into a new archaeological attraction on the outskirts of Mérida.
By July 2026, however, Xiol does not appear in the official list of archaeological zones regularly open to the public by INAH. This indicates that access remains limited or depends on authorization, without a tourist operation similar to Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, or Mayapán.
While warehouses and industrial facilities advanced around the land, the structures of Xiol remained as a record of a community that lived there more than a millennium ago. Under an area intended for modern production, workers ended up revealing palaces, houses, tombs, and ceremonial spaces of a city that had disappeared from the landscape.
Do you believe that sites like Xiol should be open to visitation or remain closed to facilitate preservation and research? Leave your opinion in the comments and tell us what caught your attention in this discovery.
