Archaeologists have identified a distinctive type of ancient Maya architecture across parts of the Yucatán Lowlands that may represent purpose-built marketplaces, according to a new study published in Ancient Mesoamerica.
The research, by Ivan Šprajc, examines dozens of so-called “nested constructions” in the central and western Maya Lowlands. These complexes are made up of low, narrow, elongated mounds arranged in concentric circles or rectangles, creating a layout unlike most known Maya civic or residential spaces.
Šprajc argues that the structures are best understood as a regional form of built market. Their arrangement closely resembles descriptions of marketplaces recorded in central Mexico during the Spanish Conquest, as well as architectural complexes at Tikal and Calakmul that many researchers have already interpreted as markets.
Most of the newly identified sites were detected using lidar, a remote-sensing technique that can reveal buried or overgrown archaeological features beneath dense forest. By analysing several airborne laser datasets, Šprajc identified 50 nested constructions stretching across a broad area, particularly in Campeche, Mexico. Because these low platforms are difficult to spot on foot, the true number is likely to be higher.
The study suggests the mounds once supported market stalls made of perishable materials, while the spaces between them functioned as walkways for buyers and sellers. Larger adjoining buildings or enclosed courtyards may have been used for storage or for officials supervising trade.
Several features support this interpretation. Some complexes include altars, shrines, ceremonial structures and, in some cases, nearby ballcourts, all of which fit with the ritual and social dimensions of trade documented elsewhere in Mesoamerica. Others are positioned near water sources, causeways or settlement centres, locations that would have made them practical hubs for exchange.
Chronological evidence indicates that most of the complexes were in use during the Classic period, roughly AD 250 to 900. Excavations at comparable sites, including Tikal’s East Plaza and Calakmul’s Chiik Nahb complex, have produced some of the strongest evidence for market activity. At Calakmul, murals appear to depict people handling and selling goods including food, salt, ceramics and textiles, although some scholars have argued that the scenes may instead show ritual feasting.
Šprajc acknowledges that the case is not yet conclusive. Archaeologically identifying markets is notoriously difficult because trade could also take place in open plazas without permanent buildings. In addition, many of the newly identified sites have only been tested in small-scale excavations, limiting what can be said about their precise use.
Even so, the repeated appearance of these unusual layouts across one region suggests they were not random. The study explores whether their distribution may reflect trade routes, environmental pressures and economic specialisation. Areas with poorer agricultural potential, for example, may have relied more heavily on exchange networks and thus supported a denser system of markets.
The author concludes that while more excavation and geochemical analysis will be needed, the evidence strongly suggests these nested constructions were a regional Maya solution to organising market exchange. If confirmed, they would offer an important new window into the economic life of the ancient Maya.
Sources : Ancient Mesomerica – Šprajc I. Nested Constructions in the Yucatán Lowlands: Ancient Maya Marketplaces? Ancient Mesoamerica. Published online 2026:1-20. doi:10.1017/S0956536126100923
