http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/ Staring at rocks for a really long time. Archeology and Historical evidences. en Fri, 24 May 2013 07:22:15 GMT vBulletin 5 http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/images/misc/rss.png http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/ http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showthread.php?155857-Mayan-Pyramid-turned-into-road-fill&goto=newpost Tue, 14 May 2013 15:58:30 GMT A Mayan pyramid that has stood for 2,300 years in Belize has been reduced to rubble, apparently to make fill for roads.

Local media in the Central American country of 334,000 people report the temple at the Noh Mul site in northern Belize was largely torn down by backhoes and bulldozers last week.

"This is one of the worst that I have seen in my entire 25 years of archaeology in Belize," John Morris, an archaeologist with the country's Institute of Archaeology, told local channel 7NewsBelize. "We can't salvage what has happened out here -- it is an incredible display of ignorance."

The institute's director, Jaime Awe, called the destruction "one of the worse set of blows I have felt philosophically and professionally."

Though the pyramid was grown over with trees and brush, there could be no mistaking what it was, Morris said.

"There is no way that one can say that they did not know. Even for you guys as laypeople can look and you'll see the building," 7NewsBelize quoted Morris as saying.

The pyramid was the center of a settlement of about 40,000 people and 81 buildings over 12 square miles, according to 7NewsBelize. It stood about 65 feet tall and was built around 250 B.C. with hand-cut limestone bricks, archaeologists said.

The limestone is quality material used to upgrade local roads, and it's prized by contractors, local opposition legislator John Briceno told CTV3 News.

"The Mayas use good material to build their temples, and these temples are close to (the village of) Douglas so that means that they have to use less diesel, less wear and tear; they can do more trips per day, and at the end of the day they can make more money," CTV3 quotes Briceno as saying.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/14/world/...yed/index.html ]]> Archaeology 201 Bill the Cat http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showthread.php?155857-Mayan-Pyramid-turned-into-road-fill