Oldest Mayan monument ever found A huge artificial plateau that is 1.4 kilometres long and 10–15 metres high has been discovered in Mexico. Archaeologists spotted the monumental construction from the air using lidar, a remote-sensing method that maps the ground using lasers. Dubbed Aguada Fénix, the extensive structure was built between 1000 and 800 BC, and precedes the peak of the Maya empire by more than a millennium. National Geographic | 7 min read Go deeper with the Nature News & Views article. Reference: Nature paper