1,000-year-old Maya ruins — once home to the elite — unearthed in Mexico. 

1,000-year-old Maya ruins — once home to the elite — unearthed in Mexico. 

During road construction in Kohunlich, archaeologists and workers found seven ancient structures once used by elite Maya families, photos show. Photo from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History

During construction in southern Mexico, workers uncovered several ancient-looking structures — and found the 1,000-year-old homes of Maya elites. The seven ancient structures reemerged during road construction a few miles from Kohunlich Archaeological Zone, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a July 24 news release.

Archaeologists identified the ruins as residential structures used by elite Maya families at least 1,000 years ago. Photos show the abandoned homes.

The architectural style, known as the Petén style, was used between roughly 300 to 1000, officials said. One of the 1,000-year-old Maya structures found in Kohunlich. 

One structure had two vaulted rooms and a rough exterior wall, similar to a defensive rampart, archaeologists said. Here, excavations uncovered a snail shell with several figures carved on it. The shell is a rare type of Maya artifact, archaeologist Carrillo Sánchez said in the release. It likely belonged to the owner of the home and was used as an offering during a ritual. Only six similar carved shells have been found in Mexico and Central America.

One of the 1,000-year-old structures had three vaulted rooms arranged in an “L” shape and an interior courtyard. Another ruined building had two rooms likely used for food storage. Photos show some of the ancient stone homes. The high-status residents may have been connected to the nearby city-turned-archaeological-site, officials said.

Kohunlich was a large Maya settlement founded around 300 B.C., according to the institute. The city had homes and elaborate ceremonial buildings. Its population peaked between 600 to 900 A.D.

Kohunlich is on the Yucatán Peninsula, a roughly 800-mile drive southeast of Mexico City and near the border with Belize. A close-up photo shows some of the ancient Maya ruins found in Kohunlich.  

Archaeologists plan to restore five of the newfound structures and open these to the public, officials said. The other two sites will be left for future research. Analysis of the sites and their artifacts is ongoing. Officials also rerouted the planned road to preserve the ancient homes. The construction is part of the larger Tren Maya, or Maya Train, project.