KEY POINTS

  • Archeologists unearthed the biggest Mayan structure on earth at present
  • They found it in Tabasco State near Mexico's border with Guatemala
  •  Researchers were able to find the structure using Lidar technology 

Researchers, using airborne laser scanners that are capable of peering through the jungle, revealed a ceremonial platform measuring nearly a mile long. Estimated to be around 3,000 years old, it may be the largest and oldest ancient Mayan building ever found.

A Giant Platform

Found at a site named Aguada Fenix just beside the isolated San Pedro River in Tabasco State near Mexico’s border with Guatemala, the 50-foot-high raised earthen platform may have been used for large gatherings and ceremonies, according to Takeshi Inomata. He said it might have existed before royal and noble Mayan individuals emerged and dominated society at other later Mayan sites. Dr. Takeshi Inomata is an archaeologist from the University of Arizona and specializes in Mayan civilization, warfare, ceramics, social change, and architecture.

Dr. Inomata said the newly-discovered platform is a big construction before the social hierarchy. His research and findings were published in the science journal Nature. “The really interesting implication is what this site tells us about the potential of human collaboration, which can do really amazing things without the presence of a centralized government,” he said.

biggest and oldest Mayan structure discovered by archaeologists
biggest and oldest Mayan structure discovered by archaeologists 272447 - Pixabay

Two Dozen Ancient Mayan Structures

The site, which has been estimated to be between 1,000 B.C. and 800 B.C., was first discovered during a lidar scan. Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, has the same principles as that of radar. Carried by a small aircraft, lidar scanners can bounce hundreds of laser light pulses off the landscape every second to reveal features hidden by thick vegetation.

Inomata said that over two dozen ancient Mayan structures were earlier discovered near the San Pedro River. These were first seen in low-resolution lidar maps owned by the Mexican government. High-resolution lidar scans were then conducted, which revealed the details of the biggest structure hidden within thick forest covers. “We found Aguada Fénix as this perfect rectangular shape,” Dr. Inomata said.

Ancient Mayan Civilization

The giant structure at Aguada Fenix is over 1,500 yards long and 440 yards across. A central plaza and several small pyramids were constructed on top of the platform, forming a characteristic Mayan ceremonial center called by archaeologists as an “E-group assemblage.”

According to the archeologist, the ancient Mayan used to live in what is known today as southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and some parts of El Salvador and Honduras. They soon became an empire that spanned much of Central America, reaching their peak around the sixth century A.D. However, many of the ancient Mayan cities have been abandoned by 900 A.D.