Lidar reveals the oldest and biggest Maya structure yet found

Excavations and airborne mapping unveil a society that from its beginnings built big

3-D rendering of Maya site Aguada Fénix

Airborne remote sensing allowed scientists to create a 3-D rendering of newly discovered Aguada Fénix, including the 3,000-year-old Maya site’s massive ceremonial plateau with a platform and mound in its center.

T. Inomata

Ancient Maya society got off to a monumentally fast start around 3,000 years ago.