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El gráfico muestra la ubicación de Aguada Fénix y sitios arqueológicos relacionados, así como la cronología de los principales periodos de la civilización maya.
GN40241ES

ARQUEOLOGÍA

Revelan la estructura ceremonial maya más antigua conocida

By Jordi Bou

June 3, 2020 - Un grupo de arqueólogos descubrió la más temprana y mayor de las construcciones monumentales de los mayas, arrojando nueva luz sobre el surgimiento de su civilización.

By conducting an airborne survey using LIDAR, a remote sensing method using lasers that creates a 3D map of the surface below, archaeologist Takeshi Inomata and colleagues have discovered a previously unknown Maya site in the Mexican state of Tabasco.

The site, called Aguada Fénix, consists of an artificial plateau measuring 1,413 metres north to south and 399 metres east to west. The construction is 10-15 metres above the surrounding area with 9 causeways extending from the platform.

The size of the main plateau at Aguada Fénix surpasses that of La Danta complex at El Mirador – the largest construction previously known in the Maya lowlands.

Archaeologists previously thought that the Maya civilization developed gradually, with small villages emerging around 1,000–350 BC. However, the recent discovery of early ceremonial centres, such as Aguada Fénix, challenge this model.

Using radiocarbon dating, the authors estimate the structure at Aguada Fénix was built around 950 BC, which makes it the oldest monumental structure found in the Maya area to date.

Until recently, archaeology was limited by what a researcher could see while standing on the ground. But LiDAR technology has transformed the field, providing a way to scan entire regions for archaeological sites.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 03/06/2020; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Takeshi Inomata, [email protected]
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