Extended Data Fig. 9: Calculation of the volume of the main plateau at Aguada Fénix.
From: Monumental architecture at Aguada Fénix and the rise of Maya civilization
a, Section drawings of the plateau, showing the current ground surface and the estimated positions of bedrock. Vertical dimensions are exaggerated. The locations of the section lines are shown in Extended Data Fig. 3. Red lines indicate the depths of bedrock reached by excavations and auger tests. When excavations and auger tests are not on the section lines, their elevations may not correspond exactly with the positions of the current ground surface and bedrock shown here. b, Estimated construction volumes of the main plateau and the west plateau of Aguada Fénix, and estimates of labour investment. c, Comparison of the Aguada Fénix plateaus with other major buildings4,5,7,13,24,87,88,89 in Mesoamerica. The construction volume of the main plateau of Aguada Fénix is larger than that of the La Danta complex (the largest construction in the Maya lowlands previously known) and that of the Pyramid of the Sun of Teotihuacan, the largest city in Preclassic-to-Classic Mesoamerica. The Great Pyramid of Cholula is larger, but it was expanded over more than 1,000 years.
