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Discovery Sheds New Light on Early Maya Rituals — an aerial view of the ruins in the jungle

Discovery Sheds New Light on Early Maya RitualsCEFR A2

28 Nov 2025

Adapted from U. Arizona, Futurity CC BY 4.0

Photo by Pau de Valencia, Unsplash

AI-assisted adaptation of the original article, simplified for language learners.

Researchers discovered large monuments made by early Mesoamericans. This discovery was made in 2020 in Mexico at a site called Aguada Fénix. The site is very large, almost one mile long, and has very tall structures.

The team found many important artifacts that show how early Maya people held rituals. They used a special technique called lidar to find these structures hidden under the jungle.

This discovery changes our understanding of how Maya culture developed, showing that they built important sites earlier than previously thought.

Difficult words

  • discoveryFinding something new or unknown.
    discovered
  • monumentsLarge structures built to honor someone or something.
  • artifactsObjects made by people in the past.
  • ritualsSet actions done in a specific order usually for religious purposes.
  • techniqueA special way of doing something.
  • understandingThe ability to know something clearly.
  • cultureThe ideas, customs, and social behavior of a group.

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Why do you think discovering sites like Aguada Fénix is important?
  • How might this discovery affect our view of the Maya civilization?
  • What other discoveries might help us learn about ancient cultures?

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