A lost, ancient city called the "City of the Monkey God" was recently uncovered by archaeologists in the rainforests of Honduras.

The city has apparently never been explored before by scientists and archaeologists and is truly beyond the reaches of modern civilization. There are also legends and stories about the fabled "White City," which is also known as the "City of the Monkey God," which is apparently an entire lost civilization.

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Using a technique called Light Detection and Ranging or Lidar, researchers surveyed and mapped the area with this laser light method to unveil the hidden area of the city now covered by rainforests.

The mapping revealed unnatural features that are not geological features organic to the region. These features include structures, earthenware, mounds and canals that suggest the presence of a mighty and ancient city. Lidar also showed some settlements around the river handled and shaped by human hands.

Archaeologists consider this ancient site in Mosquitia near eastern Honduras an incredibly rare find as it was in nearly pristine conditions and was not looted or demolished by foreign settlers. Located at the foot of the city were objects associated with some sort of important ritual such as stone seatings and vessels with animals carved on their bodies.

The city also contained plazas, an earthen pyramid and more than 50 public sculptures depicting snakes and vultures. The condition of this archaeological site is so unspoilt the team refused to reveal the exact location of the city so it will be free from potential looters.

According to ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin, it's clearly the most undisturbed tropical rainforest ever found in Central America and the importance of the site cannot be overestimated.

After exploring the entirety of the lost city, archaeologists have concluded this old city isn't just the "City of the Monkey God" they were searching for, but just one of the myriad cities in the region, or even one of the many great cities lost to an entire ancient civilization.

The immediate threat to this extremely rare dig isn't just looters but also deforestation caused by ranching in nearby areas. This specific part of Honduras is home to the top producers of beef around the world that largely supplies the U.S.

According to Virgilio Paredes Trapero who is the director of the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History, most of the rainforest in the valley will be gone in eight years due to ranching. The local government of Honduras is committed to protecting their forests but there is no money for this and international support is urgently needed.

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