Submitted by Sean Williams on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 10:02
Archaeologists exploring the lost Maya city of El Mirador claim they've found the world's biggest pyramid. The massive structure, called La Danta (The Tapir), may have its summit hidden beneath Guatemala's jungle canopy. Yet its volume is reckoned to be larger than that of the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt's Giza Plateau. The city itself, dubbed the 'Maya Cradle of Civilization', is the size of a modern metropolis; bigger than downtown Los Angeles. And experts believe there are thousands more pyramids yet to be found.
Kiuic (meaning 'gathering place' in Mayan) is a biological reserve and former Maya city located in the Puuc (hilly) region of Yucatan state, Mexico, around 30 miles from the state capital Mérida. It has been mooted as one of the keys to potentially unlocking the secrets of the Maya collapse, for it holds material evidence for a massive exodus around a thousand years ago. Its jungly surroundings were thought to have been empty of human history until 2009, when a national archaeological team uncovered two pyramids and nine palaces. Also found were many tools and everyday items, such as corn-grinding stones, or metates.
Many experts have pointed to Kiuic as a perfect example of the sudden demise of the Maya culture, dubbing it a 'Maya Pompeii'. Many weapons and tools appear to have been downed on the spot, as locals fled for the Yucatan peninsula's northern coasts. Its pyramids are in excellent condition, albeit having been taken over by the rainforest, and the area is gathering pace as a tourist destination, both for its Maya history and for the vast biological diversity present. The Kaxil Kiuic Research and Education Centre takes small groups around the region regularly.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 09:30
New research suggests the giant step pyramids of the ancient Mayas may in fact have been used to make music on a colossal scale. Experts were already aware of the 'raindrop' sounds made by the footsteps of those ascending Chichen Itza's famous El Castillo pyramid. Yet the comparison of El Castillo's sonic phenomenon with another of Mexico's Maya structures has led two scholars to conclude that creating 'rain music' was the pyramids' main function.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 09/21/2009 - 21:37
Archaeologists have made an amazing discovery in Mexico, which could hold the key to one of history's enduring enigmas. Two pyramids and nine palaces have been found hidden in the jungles of the Puuc region of Mexico's Yucatan, the birthplace of the famous Maya culture. Experts have described the incredible haul, located at the ancient site of Kiuic, as a 'Maya Pompeii' - and believe its sudden abandonment could unlock the mystery of the Mayas, whose highly advanced civilization suddenly imploded around a thousand years ago.
