sciencealert | A giant, sprawling structure almost a mile long has been discovered at
the southern tip of Mexico, with researchers saying it may represent the
oldest and largest monument of the ancient Maya civilisation ever
found.
The site, called Aguada Fénix, is located in the state of Tabasco, at
the base of the Gulf of Mexico. It's so vast for its age, the find is
making archaeologists recalibrate their timelines on the architectural
capabilities of the mysterious Maya.
Before now, the Maya site of Ceibal (aka Seibal) was thought to be the oldest ceremonial centre, dating back to around 950 BCE.
Aguada
Fénix, which measures over 1,400 metres (almost 4,600 ft) in length at
its greatest extent, dates to a similar timeframe, with researchers
estimating it was built between 1000 and 800 BCE – but its immense size
and scope make it unlike anything found before from the period.
"To our knowledge, this is the oldest monumental construction ever
found in the Maya area and the largest in the entire pre-Hispanic
history of the region," the researchers, led by archaeologist Takeshi
Inomata from the University of Arizona, explain in a new paper about the discovery.
What's
even more staggering is that this huge, unknown structure has actually
been hiding in plain sight for centuries, seemingly unrecognised by the
modern Mexicans living their lives on top of the vast complex.
