In the summer of 2020 a team led by University of Arizona archaeologists reported a very large monument at Aguada Fénix in Tabasco. The monument is almost a mile long, a quarter-mile wide, and 30 to 50 feet high. It dates to 1,000 BCE.
Researchers first saw features of the site with lidar in 2017. The team had used lidar earlier in 2015 at Ceibal in Guatemala. In the five years since the 2020 report the team found nearly 500 similar, smaller sites across southeastern Mexico.
Excavations show the monument was a cosmogram. A cross-shaped pit held jade objects and pigments placed to match the directions. Radiocarbon dating and pottery helped date the finds to about 900–845 BCE. There is no sign of one powerful king; leaders probably worked together.
Difficult words
- discovery — Finding something new or unknown.discovered
- monuments — Large structures built to honor someone or something.
- artifacts — Objects made by people in the past.
- rituals — Set actions done in a specific order usually for religious purposes.
- technique — A special way of doing something.
- understanding — The ability to know something clearly.
- culture — The 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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