(ORDO NEWS) — In southern Mexico, a gigantic structure with a length of almost one and a half kilometers was discovered. Researchers claim that it may be the oldest and largest monument of the ancient Mayan civilization ever discovered.
The find, called the Aguada Phoenix, is located in the state of Tabasco, at the foot of the Gulf of Mexico. It is so great for its age that it forces archaeologists to reconsider their time frames of the architectural structures of the mysterious Mayan civilization.
Prior to this, a place in Seibal (aka Seibal) was considered the oldest ceremonial center dating from about 950 BC.
Aguada Phoenix, whose length is more than 1400 meters, dates from a similar period, researchers estimate that it was built between 1000 and 800 BC, but its huge size makes it unlike anything that has been seen before.
“As far as we know, this is the oldest monumental structure ever found in the Mayan 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 .
What is even more striking is the fact that this huge, unknown structure actually hid in sight for centuries, undetected by modern Mexicans living on top of a huge complex.
“This area is developed,” says Inomata. “This is not the jungle; people live there. But this monument was not discovered, because it is so flat and huge. It just looks like a natural landscape.”
Despite the invisibility of Aguad Phoenix, he cannot hide from inhuman eyes. Aerial photography using LIDAR revealed an anomaly, an elevated platform 1,413 meters high from north to south and 399 meters from east to west and extending 15 meters above the surrounding area.
“Artificial plateaus can be described as a horizontal monument that contrasts with the vertical dimensions of the pyramids,” the authors write, noting that the location of the Aguad Phoenix is determined by rows of low embankments.
Nine wide dams extend from the platform, which is also surrounded by many smaller structures, including smaller complexes and artificial reservoirs.
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