The oldest and largest Mayan temple was built to symbolize the cosmos.

According to new research published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, the community's understanding of the universe was reflected in the site's design. The site features crosses of increasing size with a cross-shaped well containing important ritual objects. A vast, ancient Mayan complex, hidden in the jungle and surrounding fields for thousands of years, was discovered from an airplane using remote sensing equipment and made public in 2020. Five years later, archaeologists are uncovering more secrets of the colossal structure. An artificial earthen plateau with interconnected causeways, canals, and corridors was built in southeastern Mexico 3,050 years ago and was used for approximately 300 years. Known as Aguada Fénix, it is the largest and oldest architectural site in the region occupied by the Maya civilization, even larger than later Mesoamerican cities like Teotihuacan and Tikal. However, unlike these latter cities, it lacks the characteristic stone pyramids.