scientists: Airborne imaging of Honduras's Mosquito Coast might show lost city of Ciudad Blanca

Since Spanish explorer Herman Cortes first noted the existence of Ciudad Blanca, the White City, in 1526, archaeologists, explorers and treasure hunters have been searching for the site, reputed to contain vast wealth. Many have claimed to find it, including the CIA’s Theodore Morde, who based the bizarre travelogue “Lost City of the Monkey God” on it. None of those claims have held water, however, and contemporary archaeologists are not even sure the city ever existed.

But now a team from the University of Houston, using laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) from a survey plane, have found the ruins of an ancient city deep in Honduras’ Mosquito Coast region and hidden by centuries of jungle growth. The city may or may not be Ciudad Blanca, but it certainly appears to be a major archaeological site.

Ciudad Blanca plays a central role in many Central American stories and mythology. It has been cited as the birthplace of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Some previous “sightings” have included reports of golden idols and elaborately carved white stones, which have given the city its name. No reputable source has verified these claims, however. …

via Airborne imaging of Honduras’s Mosquito Coast might show lost city of Ciudad Blanca, scientists say. – latimes.com.

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