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Discovered: Honduras’ Mythical City Of Gold?
Conquistadors like Hernando Cortes in the 1500s searched endlessly for the ancient city and its purported riches. Now modern researchers think they've found it
Using advanced laser mapping technology that shoots laser pulses into the ground to create an image, researchers think they may have uncovered Honduras' mythical city — which is supposed to be filled with gold. Photo: Images produced by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM), University of Houston for UTL, LLC
Deep in the rainforest of Honduras' Mosquitia region, archaeologists have discovered what they think might be the remains of La Ciudad Blanca, which, according to legend, is thought to be brimming with gold. But the discovery of the mystical White City is far from Indiana Jones-esque (at least so far) — for example, researchers had to use sophisticated modern technologies from the safety of a plane to pinpoint its location. Here's what you should know:
What exactly is La Ciudad Blanca?
Legend has it that the lost city was once full of gold, which is why conquistadors like Hernando Cortes searched far and wide for it in the 1500s. Rumored sightings throughout the centuries "have described golden idols and elaborately carved white stones," hence the White City's namesake, says The Daily Mail. According to folklore, La Ciudad Blanca is the birthplace of the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, a serpent-like creature with feathers. Now, researchers think they've honed in on La Ciudad Blanca's precise location.
How did they find it?
Instead of "hacking through forests using machetes," researchers employed a modern day technology called LiDAR, says Innovation News Daily. The technology works like sonar: Quick-burst laser pulses bounce off the ground below at a rate of 100,000 per second. The time it takes for the light to return to the plane tells researchers the altitude points on the ground, allowing them to put together a topographic map through the tree cover.
