Professor of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University
In my career I have been constantly compared to Indiana Jones — most notably by PBS, The LA Times, and New Scientist. I’ve always chuckled at this comparison, but I do understand why and how this is an unending theme of my work. In colloquial terms: my job is to dig up lost cities in the thick of the jungle while negotiating with armed and dangerous drug lords. This is what I do for a living, plain and simple.
Continue reading “5 Ways in Which I Identify with Indiana Jones”
Here we are, as deep as I’m willing to go (for fear of getting completely lost) into the caves of the Raxruja Viejo project – a deep cave excavation in collaboration with, and under the direction of, my co-director Chloe Andrieu (CNRS) and assistant co-director, Julien Sion (Sorbonne).
In my last blog post, Colossal Cave Excavation, I shared a short video of my supervisory visit to the cave subproject, the Raxruja Viejo project, in collaboration with, and under the direction of, my co-director Chloe Andrieu (CNRS) and assistant co-director, Julien Sion (Sorbonne).
Are you ready for more? Below you can see Julien Sion and I entering the cave to give a tour at the bottom of the main entrance. Listen closely as we share updates about our ongoing progress.
In the next video, Don Amilcar takes us deep into the cave subproject to show off the grand, natural wonders as I discuss Mayan rituals practiced in this very location. As you can see, even with many flashlights, it’s difficult to find your way to the underground river below. Can you imagine the ancient Maya doing this journey in almost complete darkness?
This cave acted not only as a ritual space, but also as a gigantic tomb and cathedral. For more, follow along below.
Written By: JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Source: The New York Times
NASHVILLE— After hacking through tropical jungles in Central America and turning up stones of magnificent temples and tombs, archeologists over the years built up in their minds an idealized image of the Maya people who once flourished where now only wilderness thrives.
Continue reading “What Doomed the Maya? Maybe Warfare Run Amok”
Note from C –
So we are working late and the dictation is done, but I kept the recording going. Dr. Demarest was talking about a manuscript he had been asked to review and comment on. All of a sudden he launches into one of his conversations where he talks about the collapse and civilizations today.
Continue reading “A Casual Conversation on Collapse and Civilizations Today”
What about the popular books and tv documentaries that link Mayan (and other ancient civilization’s) achievements to extraterrestrials and space aliens? Arthur explains key points to clear up any confusion… Continue reading “Ancient Civilizations and Space Aliens”
Ed Fischer and Arthur Demarest have a lively discussion of the collapse of civilizations and the discussion is continued in the chat following the post. Continue reading “Ed Fischer, PBS NewsHour’s Making Sen$e”
