Experts and other archaeologists in Mexico are very excited, to say the least. They have uncovered a network of at least 2,000 pre-Hispanic ruins among the many clusters of artefacts along a route that has been proposed by Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Simply put, these archaeology experts have made a discovery that is going to put everything we know about Ancient Mexico on its head. Most of the newly-discovered artefacts are along the president’s disputed “Maya Train” project of the Yucatan peninsula.
Of course, the product by the Mexican president was considered controversial too because some of these scientists have discovered sincerely matched “archeological monuments” along at least 277 miles along the president’s proposed route.
The latest laser elevation data showed that there were at least 2,187 “monuments” along this planned track. Many of these findings are brand new to the experts as well.
Of course, when we talk about Mexican pre-history, it’s important that we fully define just what we mean by “monuments”, simply because that term can mean quite a few different things. For example, it could mean the remains of a pre-Hispanic home, but it also could mean a carved stone artefact.
Moreover, it could also mean that archaeologists are studying the remains of a temple platform. Indeed, there were at least 91 larger structures such as pyramids, temples, and other platforms uncovered, and that’s just according to Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History!
Of course, this is a big difference from Mayan houses, which really weren’t all that substantial. They usually consisted of a stone base which would then be topped off by either a wooden or thaft structure.
Experts in Mexico said Wednesday they have detected more than 2,000 pre-Hispanic ruins or clusters of artefacts along the proposed route of the president’s controversial “Maya Train” project on the Yucatan peninsula. https://t.co/N2uttdeGdp
— Sumiko Keil TV (@mkanahy88) October 15, 2020
The institute did publish a report regarding this issue, and they even weighed in on the train building project. While they didn’t necessarily either support or condemn the train construction project, they also noted that the buildings would need to take care to “specific measures” to make sure that none of these artefacts would ultimately be damaged. However, they did not say whether certain parts of the route would have to be changed.
In July, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador started off on the construction of his “Maya Train”, which is a pet project of his that is supposed to extend almost 950 miles and will consist of a rough loop shape around the Yucatan Peninsula.
The main goal of this train is to connect the Mexican Caribbean resorts to the great majority of the interior stations within the Peninsula.
There are at least fifteen of them, and the proposed cost of the entire project has been estimated at $6.8 billion. However, critics say that the cost will wind up being much higher.
The critics of President Lopez Obrador are now weighing in, and their main argument is that Obrador rammed this legislation through without fully considering a number of different variables.
These would include the sinkhole caves called cenotes, the effects this project would have on the environment, and yes, the effect this train project would ultimately have on the Mayan ruins.
While there are stretches of the route that already have tracks, experts are extremely concerned about other areas that have been largely untouched for decades, if not centuries.
For example, there are a few valid arguments that some of the tracks will push through sensitive jungle terrain. Additionally, some are concerned that the land would be disturbed because of the need to update tracks and the construction of new railway stations.
There have even been a few Mayan communities that are fairly miffed about his project. Indeed, there have even been a few that have filed suit against President Lopez Obrador in order to stop the project. Another chief complaint of theirs is that they weren’t fully consulted regarding the project, nor did they receive any benefits. Naturally, they are also concerned about the possibility that some of these historical sites will be disturbed.
You see, experts use the LiDAR system for these and other projects. It stands for Light Detection and Ranging. This method involves shooting a pulsed laser at the ground so that the viewer can get a high-resolution detailed image of the ground, even if it has some dense vegetation.
Of course, the empire that the Mayas constructed was something to be proud of. It was a sprawling system of city-states across Central America and the Yucatan between 2,000 B.C. and 900 A.D. Many of their descendants still live on the peninsula! What do you think about this unique (and historic) story?
