The oldest known Mayan monument – a map of the Universe?

An entire monument, a monumental complex built by the Maya some 3,000 years ago, was modeled after a map of the cosmos, new field research has revealed.

A detailed analysis of the Aguada Fénix site reveals that not only was this monument significantly larger than initial studies suggested – arranged in the shape of a cross with axes of 9 and 7.5 kilometers (5.6 and 4.7 miles) – but it was also designed as a cosmogram, an architecture symbolizing the cosmos.

What is even more remarkable about this structure is that the site contains no elements of social inequality, such as elite residences or sculptures of rulers.

This strongly implies that egalitarian civilizations were capable of monumental construction without the application of coercive force through a stratified social hierarchy led by a king.

Why is this monument fascinating

The discovery of Aguada Fénix through LIDAR surveys in the Mexican state of Tabasco, near the Gulf of Mexico, was fascinating for several reasons.

The first was its size; it was the largest Mayan site ever discovered, even based on the more modest initial estimate of 1.4 kilometers along its longest axis.

And it wasn’t hidden in the forest, as so many lost structures in Mesoamerica, Central America, and South America are, but beneath a populated area. Plus, there’s the aforementioned lack of evidence for social hierarchy.

Now, a team of archaeologists led by Takeshi Inomata of the University of Arizona has conducted additional LIDAR operations, fieldwork, and excavations.

They have discovered that Aguada Fénix is ​​much more extensive and complex—not just in its physical scale, but also in what it can reveal about the people who built it between 1050 and 700 BC.

“In addition to the attractions of collective ceremonies, feasting, and the exchange of goods, the construction of a cosmogram, embodying the order of the Universe, likely provided a justification for large numbers of people to participate without coercion,” the researchers write in their paper.

“The development of Aguada Fénix exemplifies the capacities of human organization without prominent inequalities, but it also suggests the challenges that earlier builders faced.”

A special construction

Researchers have discovered that the structure of this monument is a kind of nested cross, with long axes leading to the center of the monument.

This center, located on an artificial plateau, contains two nested cross-shaped pits in its center.

The long axes each consist of a corridor and a pair of footpaths, the corridor dug into the ground and the footpaths built above ground on either side of it.

The longest corridor, which extends northwest, measures 6.3 kilometers. Scholars speculate that these may have been used for ritual processions to and from the ceremonial center of this monument.

Around the western axis, where the structure crosses the Naranjito Lagoon, builders began work on a system of canals that may have reflected the ritual importance of water.

These canals were left unfinished, suggesting that the ancient builders faced limitations in both their skills and their ability to organize the construction.

A monument with an interesting treasure

The Aguada Fénix ceremonial center on the Main Plateau has revealed some of the most fascinating treasures of the excavations.

Right in the center of the cross-shaped pits, archaeologists found pigment deposits in a special cache, placed in a directional order.

The blue azurite pigment was placed to the north; the green malachite to the east; and the yellow ochre containing goethite to the south.

This represents the earliest known example of Mesoamerican directional color symbolism, a motif that would later appear in Mayan cosmograms, associating the cardinal directions of the world with color-coded elements.

“We know that there are specific colors associated with specific directions, and this is important for Mesoamerican people, even for Native Americans in North America,” Inomata said.

“But we’ve never had pigment placed like this before. This is the first time we’ve found those pigments associated with each specific direction. So it was very exciting.”

In these pits, researchers also found offerings of shells, jade, and carved greenstone—crocodiles, birds, and even a woman giving birth, all arranged in the same cross shape.

This also seems to be consistent with the appearance of the cosmogram, with the shells placed on the sides indicating water.

The importance of these discoveries

Researchers say the findings offer important insights into both the limits and possibilities of human organization. On the one hand, the construction remained unfinished, even though Aguada Fénix was used for about hundreds of years.

On the other hand, the scale of this monument is simply impressive, requiring an estimated 10.8 million man-days to build the Main Plateau alone and another 255,000 man-days for the canals and dam.

“The construction of a cosmogram representing the order of the Universe and time likely motivated many people to participate in construction activities without being constrained,” the researchers write.

Inomata elaborates: “People have this idea that certain things happened in the past – that there were kings, and kings built the pyramids, so in modern times you need powerful people to achieve great things,” he says.

“But once you look at the actual data from the past, things weren’t like that. So we don’t need really great social inequality to achieve great things, like this fascinating Mayan monument.”

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Source: sciencealert.com, livescience.com, phys.org.

Credit: Takeshi Inomata.

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