Mexican archaeologists have reported the discovery of the largest Mayan civilization in the state of Tabasco in the southeast of the country. In an article published in the Nature journal , it is reported that the Aguada-Phoenix complex is a huge bulk site of a rectangular shape, which has a length of 1413 meters, a width of 399 meters, and a height of 10 to 15 meters.
Radiocarbon analysis of organic residues showed that the embankment was made in the 800s – 1000s BC. If this conclusion is confirmed, then the find will lead to a review of the entire established chronology of Mayan civilization. In accordance with modern ideas, in the period from the 1000s to 350s BC, the Mayan tribes lived in small villages. However, a huge mound indicates that this was not so.
Aerial photography using lidar – a technology for obtaining and processing information about remote objects using active optical systems – made it possible to discover a network of small platforms, dams, and reservoirs around Aguada Phoenix. Nine roads were also found that led to the main platform.
It was previously believed that the Maya Indians began to create such large-scale complexes much later. One of the largest buildings in Mesoamerica, the pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, dates from the 200th year of our era. At the same time, a square with sides of 225 meters each lies at its base. The Moon Pyramid was erected between the 200th and 500th years of our era.
