Aguada Fénix is a large

Preclassic Maya The Preclassic period in Maya history stretches from the beginning of permanent village life c. 1000 BC until the advent of the Classic Period c. 250 AD, and is subdivided into Early (prior to 1000 BC), Middle (1000–400 BC), and Late (400 BC – ...

n ruin located in the state of

Tabasco Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, near the border with Guatemala. The site was discovered by aerial survey using laser mapping, and announced in 2020. The flattened mound, nearly a mile in length and between 33 and 50 feet tall, is described as the oldest and the largest Mayan ceremonial site known. The monumental structure is constructed of earth and clay, and is believed to have been built from around 1000 BC to 800 BC.

Discovery

The finding of Aguada Fénix was announced in June 2020 by Takeshi Inomata, an archaeologist with the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

in Tucson, who is part a research team started in 2017 called the Middle Usumacinta Archaeological Project. The site is located near the San Pedro River in northeastern Tabasco. It was mapped from the air and excavation begun, resulting in finds including pottery and jade axes.

Characteristics

The large platform is conjectured by scientists to have been built by communal labor, possibly showing the importance of communal work in the initial development of

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, a ...

. The clay and earth rectangular mound is about 1,400 m long and 400 m wide, and in volume reported to be greater than the mass of the

Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the biggest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Built in the early 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worl ...

. Nine massive causeways and several reservoirs are components of the overall structural site, which currently is partially wooded and otherwise used for cattle ranching.

References

Maya Preclassic Period Former populated places in Mexico {{PreColumbian-stub

Discovery

Characteristics

See also

References