Researchers have discovered the largest of Mayan civilization structure ever built

News24xx.com -   Researchers have discovered the largest of Mayan civilization structure ever built

Using high-tech laser scanners in the lush jungles of Mexico, a 3,000-year-old ceremonial platform nearly an entire mile long has been revealed, according to a study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature.

The 50-foot-high platform was found at Aguada Fenix, near the Guatemala border. It measures more than 1,500 yards long and 440 yards wide.

A central plaza and small pyramids were built on top of the site, serving as a ceremonial forum.

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The remarkable endeavor was led by University of Arizona anthropology professor Takeshi Inomata, who noted that the site was most likely used for ceremonies and large gatherings.

“This was a big construction before the social hierarchy,” Inomata said of his discovery. “The really interesting implication is what this site tells us about the potential of human collaboration, which can do really amazing things without the presence of a centralized government.”

The site, which has been dated between 1,000 B.C. and 800 B.C., was first revealed using light detection, which works similarly to radar, reported NBC News.

Amazingly, more than two dozen ancient Mayan structures near the San Pedro River were located on scanning maps.

At its apex in the sixth century A.D., the Mayan empire spanned much of Central America, but most cities were abandoned by the year 900, according to NBC.

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“It must be for rituals or ceremonies,” said Inomata. “It’s a big, wide space, so it’s a place of gathering for many people.”

The ceremonies likely involved processions because of long causeways, he said, before adding that excavations revealed a stash of jade axes that had been ritually placed in the platform’s center.