New area discovered at Mexico's Chichen Itza archeological site 

Archaeologists discovered a new group of structures at the famous historical site of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, believed to have been part of a housing complex used by the city’s elite.

Archeologists previously believed that there were no residential housing areas in the city that was founded in the 5th Century AD, according to Archaeologist Francisco Perez. The recent discovery would be "the first residential group where a ruler lived with his entire family," Perez added. 

Researchers at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) hope that the area can provide clues to what the life of the city’s inhabitants was like. 

"There must be more residential groups that have not been explored yet. The study of these peripheral groups, around the central part, could tell us about other families, other groups that made up this great city," said archaeologist Jose Osorio Leon.

The housing complex is housed in an area known as Chichen Viejo—translated to Old Chichen. The area, which has been under exploration since 1998, will be integrated into the rest of the UNESCO World Heritage park in the near future. 

Chichen Itza, which was founded as a Mayan pilgrimage center by the Itza—also known as “water sourcerers”—receives around 2 million visitors every year.