Scientists have discovered two residential complexes, including a palace-like building, in the 1,500-year-old Mayan city of Cabach on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The structures in question are the first evidence of the existence of residential structures in this archaeological area. They were excavated before construction of the Mayan Train began. Its length will be 1,500 km and will pass through the Yucatan Peninsula.

The palace-like structure is 26 meters tall and decorated with carvings of birds, feathers and necklaces, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said in a statement. The facade of the building has a portico with eight pilasters, consisting of rectangular columns protruding from the walls.

Palaces and other residential complexes were elite living spaces where people slept, ate and went about their daily lives. The buildings can also be used for administrative functions.

Carvings of birds, feathers, and beads on the palace-like structure may symbolize the relationship between the elites who lived in these structures and the Mayan gods; this would have helped legitimize their status.

Until recently, residential complexes, like other parts of the ancient city, were covered with vegetation. It is not known exactly when the buildings were built, but the city was founded between 250 and 500 AD by people from the Peten region, which includes Guatemala and Belize. Source