with darkness falling, the trip to the Palenque ruins is cut short - but Novius spends time discussing the Mayan civilization with Teddy and some of the others on their return to the hotel. In the morning Mexican 'Police' visit the hotel to interview Jim - later the group return to the 'ruins' and also visit the 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque' - and then arrangements are made to visit Chichen Itza...
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| Hotel Quinta Chanabnal - 'Mayan' Entrance - Palenque - Mexico |
"Now I know it's not really Mayan - but what's that funny thingy up on the roof ?", Ethan asked, as they made their way to the dining room...
"Ah ! - that's a 'roof comb'...", Teddy replied.
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| 'Temple of the Sun' - Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
"A roof comb...", and Teddy sighed - not that Teddy actually breathed - it was just a simulated sigh...
"Now Ethan, this entrance to the hotel is quite a good imitation of a Mayan temple - although it's not on top of a pyramid - that would be a bit inconvenient for the guests...
So, you must understand that the Mayan temple was the most important building in a Maya city, but the 'common people' didn’t have access to it - so the temple’s interior space was made small, for the sake of its outside appearance, and the building was made as imposing as possible by putting temples on the top of steep pyramids.
The temples, though, contained only tiny shrines, some of them a little more than three feet wide, while their walls were very thick to withstand the tremendous load of the massive 'roof comb' that was built on the roof, to make the building look even more impressive.", Teddy explained.
(Teddy kept a special 'Ethan Database' which contained slightly simplified explanations for his friend - designed - using a special algorithm - to provide special explanations that would not generate lots of 'time wasting questions'. Here is the real explanations for 'funny thingy up on the roof '.)A 'roof comb' is the structure that tops a pyramid in monumental Mesoamerican architecture. The roof combs that crowned the summit of pyramids and other structures consisted of two pierced framework walls which leaned on one another. This framework was covered by plaster decorated with artist depictions of gods or important rulers. The deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs has brought new understanding to their architecture; and these pictographic symbols indicate when specific structures were built and by whom. In Mayan religious architecture there was an emphasis on height, which was often manifested by vertiginous staircases, and often pyramids were built over existing ones. Symbolically a roof comb was the 'headdress' of the building which resembles those worn by the kings and rulers, and architects sought to embellish their work in order to pay tribute to the great gods and Mayan leaders for which their work was built. Because of the limitations of corbel vaulting (the Maya had not discovered the arch), many Mayan structures were designed with only a few stories. Almost always a roof comb would serve no structural function, and on these structures the combs acted as an ornate decorative facade designed to increase the height of the building. Architects used a lattice of stonework to create the combs, and this method proved to be strong and permanent. Roof combs often were carved or painted with zoomorphic or anthropomorphic motifs as well as texts. The best examples of Mayan roof combs can be seen at the great temples of Tikal. These temples serve as funerary monuments for late rulers, and the combs are adorned with intricate and commemorative mosaic portraits.
Pyramid Temple Roof Comb - Tikal - Guatemala
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| Hotel Quinta Chanabnal - Lounge - Palenque - Chiapas |
Jim 'skipped' dinner, complaining of a headache, and went to bed early - but Ethan knew that it was only an excuse, and Jim was obliviously thinking about 'the Boss', and the events surrounding his death.
After dinner Ethan, on Teddy's behalf, invited Novius, Josh, Zac and Ashraf to the lounge for some further talk about the Maya, while Clare, 'Sigi', Glen, and Brody went for a walk in the nearby village.
Once everyone was seated, Teddy stood on the 'coffee table, (the 'creepy Jaguar' had been removed at Ethan's request), and began speaking.
"So we left before finishing our 'exploration' of the Palenque site... but no matter...
Now tomorrow, if you wish, we can go back for a further look - mainly to have a proper look at the 'Temple of Inscriptions' - before going to the 'Palenque Site Archaeological Museum'.
Now the museum might sound a bit boring, but actually, for such a small town, it's an amazingly good museum, and we can see many of the treasures from the tomb of Pakal.
But before I say anything more about this, I think that Novius has some comments about the Maya that he would like to share with you.
Teddy then sat on the table, and asked Novius to speak.
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| Novius reflects on the Maya |
Then, during my time at the 'Villa Athena', I began studying the history of the Americas.
Now, knowing some of the history of these groups - and now seeing what remains of the Maya in this area, I am beginning to come to some tentative conclusions - which I would like to share with you.
While the Spanish were obviously aware of the Maya, their own unrelenting belief in christianity meant that they made no attempt to learn about the Mayan civilization and, in fact, attempted to destroy every trace of it.
And so, in time, the jungle grew over the once great cities, and memories of the Maya, and other Meso-American groups faded.
It was not until the 1800s, that British and American 'explorers' began to re-discover the civilizations of Central America.
What is odd, however, is that many of the Maya sites were unknown even to the indigenous people of the region.
The centuries had slowly covered the great temples and pyramids, and turned them into mounds of green hills and jungle, and only a few cities of the Maya were known to exist at that time, among them being Copan, Palenque, and the mysterious unnamed city deep in the jungle which came to be known as Tikal.
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| Toltec Sculpture - Meso-America |
Nevertheless, the conflicts that emerged during 1125 C.E. - coupled with a nomadic incursion from northwestern Mexico led to the destruction of the Toltec empire in 1175.
The Toltecs were legendary sculptors and artists who left many impressive monuments and stone carvings behind.
While many academics have their doubts about such a scenario, the Maya and Aztecs believed that the origins of their cultures lay with the 'mysterious' Toltecs.
Regardless, the Maya remain an historical puzzle.
Beginning as small groups of hunters and subsistence farmers, the Maya took the unusual steps of establishing themselves in areas of dense jungle.
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| Tropical Rain Forest - Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
The roots of most plants rely on an acidity difference between the roots and the soil in order to absorb nutrients.
When the soil is acidic, there is little difference, and therefore little absorption of nutrients from the soil.
Also, the type of clay particles present in tropical rain-forest soil has a poor ability to trap nutrients and stop them from washing away.
Even if humans artificially add nutrients to the soil, the nutrients mostly wash away and are not absorbed by the plants.
In addition, the high temperature and moisture of tropical rain-forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose more quickly than in other climates, thus releasing and losing its nutrients rapidly.
And finally, the high volume of rain in tropical rain-forests washes nutrients out of the soil more quickly than in other climates.
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| Rain-Forest - Sunset |
So - not a good place to establish towns and cities - as the Maya finally found to their cost.
The situation in Mesoamerica was in some ways different to that of the 'Old World', and the Maya developed as small 'city states', operating in fierce competition with one another, in the depth of the Central and South American jungles - competing for limited resources.
Possibly because of the claustrophobic effects of the encircling jungle, these societies developed a uniquely complex and 'paranoid' world view - expressed in their bizarre mythology - which even today scholars find almost impossible to decipher.
Paradoxically, eventually this world view was, in some ways, eventually similar to that of the christians inhabiting the European continent.
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| Maya Warfare |
For the Maya, their politically and economically generated warfare was further exacerbated by the need to procure 'captives', who could be sacrificed on the summits of their 'pyramids'.
This situation eventually developed into endless and pointless warfare between the numerous 'city states'.
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| Mayan Human Sacrifice |
Even after the Mayan texts had been deciphered, very little sense has been made of the Mayan religion and mythology.
Viewed objectively, the mythology of the Maya exhibits apparent signs of a type of 'mass paranoid psychosis' - probably encouraged by the fact that the use by the upper class 'priests' and lower class 'shamans' of psychoactive substances, derived from plats to be found in the rain-forests, encouraged beliefs of a remarkably bizarre nature.
In addition there was the Maya belief that some of their divinities originated in the stars.
Now while such a belief seems reasonable for a desert people, such as the ancient Egyptians, who would be constantly aware of the night sky, it seems somewhat strange for a people living under the dense canopy of a tropical 'rain-forest'.
So Novius continued with his talk...
However, in the suite where Jim was sleeping, after retiring early, a glow gradually appeared in one corner of the room, while a small owl alighted with soft wings, silently, on the top rail of the four-poster-bed.
Jim stirred in his sleep, but not from any noise, but rather from a strange and disturbing dream.
While the owl sat looking around, and occasionally preening itself, the faint glow became defined, forming the figure of a young man.
The figure, of course, was Faunus, and the owl was Glaux.
"I do what know what's troubling you, Marcus." Faunus said softly.
Jim sat up in bed.
"What are you doing here ?", Jim asked, sounding confused.
"I came because I thought you needed some help....", Faunus replied.
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| 'Fate' |
"He thought the same...", Faunus replied.
"I see...", Jim said, with a note of resignation - expecting a long lecture from Faunus.
"You do know it wasn't your fault - that 'the Boss' died.", Faunus began.
"I know - I might be 'Jaguar Jim', but I wasn't the jaguar that killed him...
I'm not stupid.
But I walked out on him - just when he needed me.
if you haven't read the contents of the above link before (which would annoy Teddy) - or had read it, but had forgotten what happened, then you should read it now...
And all because I thought he'd overlooked me - and no longer needed me.
I went off and sulked... like a kid, just because I felt insulted... and took Ethan with me.", Jim said.
"Ethan and Teddy...", Faunus said - correcting Jim.
"But if I had stayed - and maybe talked about my concerns with 'the Boss' - then perhaps he would still be with us now..." Jim said dejectedly.
"But Jim, it was just Fate... Ἀνάγκη...
'The Boss' - didn't need you at that point - and if you think he did need you, then you're just being vain and self important.
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| Enclosed Garden - 'Villa Auream' - Baiae- Gulf of Naples |
"I suppose so...", Jim replied.
"But I feel so guilty, and so sad -
I want him back, Faunus...
I want to sit in the sun - in the enclosed garden of the 'Villa Auream', with the fountains playing - just him and me - and listen to his thoughtful advice...
The 'Villa Auream' was situated at Baiae, which was an ancient Roman town on the northwest shore of the 'Sinus Neapolitanus' (Gulf of Naples). It was a fashionable resort (the ancient Roman version of Las Vegas) for centuries in antiquity, particularly towards the end of - the Roman Republic, when it was reckoned as superior to Capri, Pompeii, and Herculaneum by wealthy Romans (like Gracchus), who built villas here from 100 BC to AD 500. It was notorious for its hedonistic offerings and the attendant rumors of corruption and scandal.
Map of the Bay of Naples - Roman Empire
"Well Marcus - I can do many things, but I cannot reunite you and Gracchus in the garden at the villa at Baiae - and even if I could - doing that would not solve you present problem.
But now you must understand that it is good for you to have come to this place...
And perhaps now you may learn to see that, with the passage of time and the changes that it has wrought, it has brought you new challenges, and a new path to follow.
So, let Novius be your guide for the time being - learn from your time in Mexico, and remember that it is in your power 'to make all things new'....
So sleep now - you who are 'beloved of the gods'..."
And with that the image of Faunus slowly faded, leaving just Glaux - industriously preening himself as he sat on the top rail of the four-poster-bed in Jim's suite.
And Jim slept...
"Now I've talked a lot about the Maya because where we are now is an important center for the Mayan civilization - but later we hope to move to the area dominated by the Aztecs."
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the 'Post-Classic' period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec peoples included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language, and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The 'Aztec Empire' was a confederation of three city-states established in 1427 - Tenochtitlan, the city-state of the 'Mexica' - Texcoco - and Tlacopan. The 'Mexica' were late-comers to the Valley of Mexico, and founded the city-state of Tenochtitlan on unpromising islets in Lake Texcoco, later becoming the capital and dominant power known as the 'Aztec Empire'.
The Inca Quetzalcoatl
Novius continued... "Both the Maya and Aztec civilizations came to and end with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors - but the Maya were a far older civilization than the Aztecs.
Although thy are separated by language - superficially, and to the non-specialist, the Mayan and Aztec cultures appear very similar.
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| Quetzalcoatl - Teotihuacan - Mexico |
With regard to religion, there were some similarities, and Quetzalcoatl appears as an important deity in both the Aztec Mayan pantheons.
The Aztecs, however, were very different from the Maya in they thought of themselves as a people with a 'mission'.
A 'chosen people' - and that always makes problems - a people who believed their mission was to assist the sun in a 'cosmic struggle'.
Firstly they believed they were to side with goodness in order to assist in its triumph over evil.
Also, they were to give to all of humanity the benefits of the victory of the forces of light over the powers of night.
This idea that the Aztecs were collaborators with the 'gods' meant that they were carrying out a 'transcendent duty', and that in this action lay the only possibility for the world to continue to exist.
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| Captives for Sacrifice - Teotihuacan - Mexico |
subjugating them, and expanding constantly the territories and power of Tenochtitlan.
And so, as if hypnotized by 'the mystery of blood', the Aztecs expended all of their efforts and energy to provide the gods with blood - the precious liquid drawn from the sacrificial victims, which they believed was the only suitable nourishment for the Sun.
This collaboration with, and intention to preserve the life of the Sun, which no doubt constituted one of the fundamental points of their religion, imbued them with their 'imperialistic' conception of the world, which strangely, was of strictly philosophical origin.
This philosophical origin was the result of the Aztec's 'mystico-religious' notion that was derived from the ancient Nahuatl myth of the 'Four Preceding Suns'.
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| Sacrifice on the Pyramid |
So according to 'Nahuatl myth' - originating at the time of the Olmecs - four Suns have already existed, and this age is the 'Age of the Fifth Sun', which the Aztecs and Maya believed would be the last Sun - and hence their obsession with providing the Sun with human blood in order to prevent the 'Fifth Sun' form 'dying', and bringing about the destruction to the world.
But I think that's about all - for now - about the Maya and the Aztecs....
But for some of you here, you need to think about the big differences between the cultures of Meso-America, and those of the 'old world', and in particular the cultures of the ancient Greeks and the Romans.
So remember - tomorrow, all being well, we'll be taking a trip to the 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque' - the Palenque Site Museum'.
The following morning Teddy, in his inimitable and annoying manner, woke Jim and Ethan.
"So Jim, what did Faunus have to say ?", Teddy asked, once he had finished bouncing up and down on Ethan.
"How did you know about that ?", Jim asked sleepily.
"Oh, I have my ways...", Teddy replied knowingly.
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| Mexican Red Headed Parrots |
And don't tell me he flew...", Ethan said.
"Of course not - and he wanted to come here and meet the parrots...", Teddy explained.
"And how do they get on - the parrots and Glaux ?", Ethan asked.
"Very well, it seems.", Teddy replied.
"And do the parrots speak 'Owl' ?", Ethan asked, hoping to catch Teddy out.
"No - but Glaux speaks 'Parrot'...", Teddy replied.
"Which I suppose all parrots speak...", Ethan said sarcastically.
"Precisely !", Teddy concluded.
Once showered and dressed, Jim, Ethan and Teddy, with Glaux, who immediately joined Josh, made their way to the dining-room for breakfast.
Glaux, as you should know by now, was an 'Athene Noctua', a species of owl not naturally indigenous to the the Americas, and Pedro and the other workers in the hotel were intrigued by Glaux' appearance, and wondered from where he had come.
Josh had explained that he had been brought on their private jet, and had been kept in Josh's room in the hotel when they first arrived - an explanation which was not very convincing.
As Jim had been expecting, shortly after breakfast two representatives of the 'Dirección Federal de Segurida', wanting to speak to Jim.
Jim and Zac presumed that these were probably two of the guys who had been observing them when they visited the Palenque archaeological site the previous day.
Ethan acted as interpreter, and although his Spanish, thanks to Teddy was practically perfect, he took on the part of a very inept Spanish speaker - which was useful - as the 'police' only spoke very little English, and Ethan pretended to understand and speak Spanish like a rather poorly educated schoolboy.
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| Federal Bureau of Investigation. |
Of course, unknown to Jim and Zac, Clyde Tolson, under orders from Hoover, was at the back of all this - but despite all the 'agents' efforts, J Edgar was apparently no further forward in his investigations.
Ethan, then having haltingly given the 'Federales', in his purposefully idiosyncratic 'Spanish', the story about commemorating the death of Jim's 'guardian' some time before, and 'explaining' their future travel plans during their 'holiday' in Mexico, left the Mexicans with no really useful information, and there was little they could do other than inspect the group's travel documents - and then politely leave.
"Right - now that's over, let's get changed and go to this 'museum-thingy'...", Ethan said.
Once back in their suite, Ethan took up Teddy's original question.
"So tell us Jim, what did Faunus have to say last night ?"
"Oh, the usual...", Jim replied, obviously dissembling.
"Now come on Jim - Faunus doesn't drop in late at night just to say 'Hi'...
Spill the beans...", Ethan insisted.
"Well it was very much 'more of the same'...", Jim began rather dismissively.
"And ?", Ethan queried.
"Oh, he said it wasn't my fault that the 'Boss' came here, and then died in the jungle - and that it was 'Fate' - and that I now needed to look to Novius for guidance - and then he said something that I didn't understand about it being 'in my power to make all things new'... but you know the way Faunus is - always being mysterious....", Jim reluctantly explained.
"Okey dokey - well, we can talk about that later...
So let's go and join the group, and see this 'museum-thingy'...", Ethan said - purposely making light of the whole matter.
After breakfast the group traveled in the limos to the 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque'.
At the entrance to the museum they were met by Faunus, looking very official, and seemingly the 'director' - or some such - of the museum.
"So what's Faunus been up to this time ?", Ethan asked rhetorically.
"Well at least he looks Mexican - or Spanish.", Josh commented.
"Saludo y bienvenida al Museo de Sitio Arqueológico de Palenque.", Faunus began, with a broad smile.
"What's he say ?", Brody asked, turning to Ethan.
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| 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque', Chiapas - Mexico |
"Actually he said 'Greeting, and welcome to the Archaeological Site Museum of Palenque' - but really, Faunus, it will be much easier if you simply acted as our guide, but spoke English, which all of us can understand.", Teddy said.
"Bueno si insistes - English it is...", Faunus replied.
"Now this museum is officially called 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque' - Alberto Ruz Lhuillier.", Faunus continued...
"And who is Ruz Lhuillier ?, you may well be asking.
"Yes, we were", 'Sigi interrupted.
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| Alberto Ruz Lhuillier |
"It was Lhuillier who excavated much of the city and restored and conserved such edifices as 'El Palacio' - 'the Palace'
In 1948, he discovered the entrance to the tomb of the Maya ruler, K'inich Janaab' Pakal, hidden beneath 'El Templo de las Inscripciones' - 'the Temple of the Inscriptions'.
After four seasons of clearing the rubble-filled stairway, he found Pakal's sarcophagus and body.
Ruz Lhuillier's team also found the 'Tablet of the Palace', which served as the back to a throne, and the 'Tablet of the Slaves' which depicts a bound captives.
Ruz Lhuillier continued working at the site until 1958.
Honoring his works, the Mexican Government permitted his remains to be interned in front of the 'necropolis' that was discovered by him at the site at Palenque...
So let's go in and have a look round - and Ethan, I think you have copies of a nice plan of the museum to hand out.", Faunus concluded...
And so Ethan went round and gave each member of the group a plan of the museum.
"Oh, another one in Spanish...", Clare said, sounding disappointed.
"Yes, I'm afraid so.
"Even on the internet they're in Spanish - and I didn't have time to edit the text...", Ethan explained apologetically.
"Well, if we're going to make this a main destination for people from the US, we need to produce these site maps and museum maps in English.", Josh said.
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| Museo de Sitio de Palenque - Plan |
"That would not be a problem...", Jim countered confidently.
"And it's a bit small, by the look of it...", Glen said.
"Yes, but Palenque is not a big place so, unlike the 'Cairo Museum', which has exhibits from all the sites in Egypt, you can't really expect this place to be very big.", Novius suggested.
"So, this place might be small, but the display cases are far more modern than in Cairo, and the whole place looks cleaner and better looked after...", 'Sigi said.
"True...", Ethan agreed.
However, neither Faunus or Novius were surprised by the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the group.
Those who had first had experience of 'ancient cultures' - like Jim, Ethan, Josh, Zac and Ashraf - obviously couldn't help negatively comparing Mayan 'art' to the 'classical' art of Greece and Rome, and even Egypt - those who only knew modern culture, like Brody, 'Sigi', Clare and Glen not surprisingly thought Mayan art was crude and ugly.
Teddy, of course, had no opinion either way.
"Now the main item that most people want to see in this museum is the sarcophagus in which the body of 'Pakal the Great', as he is usually known', was found.
As this may be something of a disappointment, and also controversial, I will leave this part of our visit to Palenque to Teddy.", Faunus said, as he wandered off.
"Oh - thanks a bundle !", Teddy replied.
Teddy was obviously annoyed - but - as usual, he had all the information to hand.
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| 'Templo de las Inscripciones' - Palenque |
Meanwhile, Teddy began his explanation...
"Now this is generally known as the 'Templo de las Inscripciones' - but may also be called the 'Tomb of Pakal' because this is where the body of Pakal was discovered in 1952 by Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, as Faunus explained earlier.", Teddy began.
"OK but what's all this fuss about the 'Temple of Inscriptions' and Pakal ?", Brody asked.
"Good point, Brody, but there is a point - in fact two main points.
Now according to the various inscriptions in Maya text, Pakal is recorded to have reigned for sixty-eight years - which is a very long time, as people at the time had quite short life-spans.
So, from these inscriptions he became ruler of the 'city-state' of Palenque when he was only twelve years old.
To begin with, his mother acted as his guardian, but after her death, he ruled in his own right.
Now sixty-eight, plus twelve - obviously equals eighty, and that is some considerable age for those times.
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| 'Jade' Mask of 'Pakal the Great' (copy in the 'Museo de Sitio Arqueológico de Palenque') |
But - there's a problem...
The body in Pakal's sarcophagus, according, the latest scientific medical examinations, is that of a man of about forty years of age - and that's the first point...
Now some people have suggested that the body is not that of Pakal - but all the evidence - the jewelry on the body - the body itself - which was covered in cinnabar - and the fabulous jade 'death-mask', and the fact that the sarcophagus was sealed with an enormously heavy lid, indicate that the tomb had not been interfered with, and so the body is undoubtedly that of Pakal.
So - we are left with a mystery...", Teddy said.
Teddy, of course, was very discrete about not drawing any conclusions about the disparity between the apparent biological age of Pakal's remains, compared to the stated chronological age given for Pakal - but some in the group, and particularly Jim, Novius, Ashraf, and others, drew the most obvious, possible conclusions - especially as this anomaly involved a sarcophagus."
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| Sarcophagus of Pakal ('Museo de Sitio Arqueológico de Palenque') |
"Then there is also the matter of the bas-relief carved on the lid of the sarcophagus... and the sarcophagus lid is the second point.", Teddy continued.
"Also very strangely, the jade mask of Pakal, and also the seven ton lid, and the sarcophagus, which houses the body of Pakal, have been recently copied, and are on display in a 'replica tomb' in the 'National Museum of Anthropology' in Mexico City.
"So this sarcophagus and lid here, in the Palenque Museum, are real ?", Novius asked - looking confused.
"No - these are also copies...", Teddy replied.
"So where is the real Sarcophagus ?". Jim asked, sounding exasperated.
"In the 'Templo de las Inscripciones' - that we visited yesterday.
The excuse for these copies is that the real burial chamber, and it's contents, are 'delicate', and so the whole interior of the 'Temple of Inscriptions' is closed to visitors - but nobody except those who run the archaeological site would really know...", Teddy explained.
"Oh, so they are saying that a massive stone sarcophagus, and a seven ton stone lid, are too delicate for visitors to look at ?", Brody said.
"Apparently...", Teddy replied.
"Well I think there's more to this than meets the eye...", Novius remarked.
"Probably...", Teddy concurred.
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| Erich von Daniken - Palenque |
Now Ethan is handing out a very accurate drawing of the sarcophagus lid - as it is otherwise difficult to see it clearly in the glass display case here at the museum.
The image of the Pakal sarcophagus lid only came to prominence after Erich von Daniken wrote his book 'Erinnerungen an die Zukunft: Ungelöste Rätsel der Vergangenheit' - 'Chariots of the Gods' in 1968, in which he proposed that the image on the sarcophagus lid from Palenque depicted a Mayan 'astronaut' - presumably Pakal - taking off in a 'rocket -ship' - as if real 'aliens would use rockets !
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken - born 14 April 1935 - is a Swiss author of many books which make claims about 'extraterrestrial' influences on early human culture, including the best-selling 'Chariots of the Gods?', published in 1968. Von Däniken is one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the 'paleo-contact' and 'Ancient Astronauts' hypotheses. The ideas contained in his books are rejected by virtually all scientists and academics, who categorize his work as pseudo-history, pseudo-archaeology, and pseudoscience. Early in his career, he was convicted and served time for several counts of fraud or embezzlement, and wrote one of his books in prison.
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| The Sarcophagus Lid of Pakal the Great |
The central image, according to those who study such things, is that of a cruciform 'World Tree'.
Beneath Pakal is one of the heads of a celestial two-headed serpent viewed frontally.
Both Pakal and the serpent head, on which he seems to rest, are framed by the open jaws of a Funerary Serpent, a common iconographic device for signalling entrance into the realm of the dead - 'Xibalba'.
Pakal himself wears the attributes of the 'Tonsured Maize God' - in particular a turtle ornament on the breast - and is shown in a posture that denotes rebirth.
The carved edges of the sarcophagus lid narrate events from the life of Pakal and those of his royal forebears.
The southern side records the date of his birth and the date of his death.
The other sides mention several other lords of Palenque and the dates of their deaths.
The northern side shows Pakal's parents, along with the dates of their deaths.", Teddy said.
"So - there's no connection between these Mayans and the 'aliens' we keep bumping into ?" Glen commented, on hearing Teddy's explanation about Pakal, and the sarcophagus lid ?", Glen commented.
"Well, there is the matter of Pakal's remains being those of a man in his forties, and the inscriptions on his sarcophagus stating that he was eighty years old when he died - and we know that the Maya were very particular about being exact with numbers and dates - and we do also know that the 'aliens' appear to be able to 'manipulate' time - which is worth thinking about...", Teddy suggested.
"Yes, Teddy's right...", Novius interrupted -
"And there is the matter of the Maya, like the Toltecs and the Aztecs, who believed that their rulers, in the far distant past, were 'descended' from the 'star gods' - so while I am not in agreement with the rather naïve, and over simplified ideas of the 'Ancient Astronaut' theorists, like Daniken and others, I do thinks that there is a strong link between some ancient beliefs and 'alien' beings'...", Novius added.
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| for more information about the 'extraterrestrial' connection see 'THE MAYAN STAR GODS' |
"Creepy...", Ethan murmured.
Jim nodded, thinking that this possibly confirmed his suspicions, raised by Glen's comments about his postcard, regarding why the 'aliens' had proposed a meeting, during their visit to Mexico, at the Mayan site of Chichen Itza.
Novius then took over from Teddy, seemingly eager to show off his erudition with regard to the original cultures of the Americas.
"There are, of course, many aspects of Mayan culture that suggest that they may have been influenced by some outside 'intelligence'.
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| Sir John Eric Sidney Thompson |
Calendars - of any kind, are of course dependent on the movements to be observed in the heavens - and therefore require an advanced understanding of astronomy.
Early studies of this aspect of Mayan civilization were led by Sr John Eric Sidney Thompson, while he was working for the 'Carnegie Institute' in Washington.
Thompson dominated Maya research, and particularly Maya epigraphic studies, which included significant advances in understanding the Mayan calendar and Mayan astronomy, and also the identification of new nouns, and the development of a cataloging system for the glyph and number system.
Novius continued...The Mayans had an understanding of the passage of time that is very different from anything in Western culture. Over a period that may have lasted from 900 to 1,200 years they made a careful and accurate study of astronomical cycles, and used that knowledge as a way to make sense of, and bring order, to the unpredictable world in which they lived. The Maya recognized that the natural world, the cosmos, and even their own bodies functioned according to observable cycles, and to locate themselves within these cycles they tracked the movements of planets, the moon, and the sun. They used a 260-day calendar, and another calendar, known as the 'Long Count Calendar', which was used to tally the number of days that had elapsed since the their calculated date of the creation of the world. Amazingly, the starting-point for the Mayan calendar is equivalent to August 11, 3114 BC - which is well before the Maya even existed - and the question is - 'how did they arrive at that date ?' - and that, of course, is where 'extraterrestrial contacts' enter the story.....
The Mayan 'Long Count' Calendar
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| Maya Obsidian Knife |
Archaeologists often refer to the Maya as a 'stone age culture', because the Maya did not have metal tools, however, the Maya did developed tools made out of jadeite and obsidian
Jadeite is harder than iron, but cannot hold its considerable sharpness, and obsidian makes excellent blades, but is rare and difficult to work.
By the time the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, the Maya did not use metals for weapons or tools, but they used some metals - mainly for adornments - gold for example- or metals as money - copper axes, for example, which served as ‘money’ in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Maya also invented a method for fabricating 'cement' - which is not the same as concrete, which is stronger - in 300 BC, somewhat earlier than the similar discovery made by the Romans.
Cement was used to make 'cast-in-place' stucco architectural elements, and also mortar.
These durable cement structures have lasted for 2000 years while resisting the effects of time and the prying vines of the jungle.
Strangely, although the Maya used 'cement', and also mixes similar to 'concrete', they rarely used true arches for vaults, other than the simpler 'corbel' - usually known as the 'false Mayan arch' - and at the 'Temple of Inscriptions' you saw a 'corbel vault' in the entrance corridor.", Novius explained - and Ethan dutifully and hurriedly handed out photos of the corbeled vault in the temple.
A 'corbel' arch or vault is an arch-like construction method that uses corbeling to span a space or void. A corbel arch is constructed by offsetting successive horizontal courses of stone (or brick) beginning at the springline of the walls - the point at which the walls break off from verticality to form an arc toward the apex at the archway's center - so that they project towards the archway's center from each supporting side, until the courses meet at the apex of the archway. For a corbeled vault covering, the technique is extended in three dimensions along the lengths of two opposing walls.
Corbel Vault - Temple of Inscriptions - Palenque - Mexico
So, apart from the Mayan calendars, mathematics and astronomy, there is little to suggest an 'extraterrestrial' connection - other than the determined belief of the Maya that their priests, nobility and 'kings' were directly descended from the 'jaguar star-gods'.
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| 'Spokesmen of the Jaguar' |
Literally translated, 'Chilam Balam' means 'Spokesmen of the Jaguar' - although more usually they are simply described as the 'Jaguar Priests'.
The 'Books of Chilam Balam' are a set of Maya documents that were compiled during the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.
Although the term 'Chilam Balam' implies priests who could foretell the future, only five of the books include prophetic texts, and they are histories of the past and at the same time predictions of the future.
These books are grounded in the belief that events occurring during certain periods of time will recur in particular future periods.
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| Maya Jaguar Priest |
In the books containing the prophetic texts, close attention is given to historical and calendrical accuracy - because a reliable picture of what the future held was at stake.
Topics covered in the non-prophetic books include astrology, calendrics, and medicine.
The 'Book of Chilam Balam of Nah' contains the greatest amount of medical information, including descriptions of ailments, etiology, and various means of treatment.
The 'Chilam Balam of Chumayel', because of multiple translations, is the most widely known.
The book reveals many details of everyday life, including cuisine.
The 'Books of Chilam Balam' have been, and will continue to be important documents for understanding the present and future Maya.
Now as you may have been told before, Gnæus Gracchus - or 'the Boss' as he was known here - was initiated into the 'Chilam Balam' while he was part of the Yale group that was helping with excavations at Palenque - but what he may have learned from the 'Chilam Balam' he never discussed with anyone - except for Faunus.
But now I think we have seen enough of Palenque - and wee have another significant place to visit...", Novius concluded - and Jim nodded in agreement.
So ..... It was obvious, from Gnæus Gracchus' continuing interest in Mexico - his interest in the possibility of 'extraterrestrial' life, and his naming of his first asset in Las Vegas - the 'Club Jaguar' (now known as the 'Club Athena' ) - and, perhaps significantly, his naming of Marcus as 'Jaguar Jim', that the knowledge that he gained from the 'Chilam Balam' deeply affected him.
And now Jim had gone back to the place - Palenque - where his mentor had been discovered by the 'Priests of the Jaguar' - and where, perhaps fittingly, the Jaguar had been the cause of his mentor's demise....
And that was enough - for the moment.
But if the further promised meeting with the 'aliens' - whoever they might be - actually occurred, then some of the many puzzles with which Jim had been left - might, to some extent be answered.
news comes through from the 'Villa Athena' that Tony Stark has achieved success with the 'Armant Sarcophagus' - and is awaiting Jim's return. - Jim, however, has a rendezvous at the 'Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl' at Chechen Itza, as well as a visit to to Ethan's Villa at San Cristóbal de las Casashe , and an inspection of the new Corporation Resort at 'Ciudad del Carmen'......
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All text - © Copyright Peter Crawford 2022
All Images - © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2022
Graphic Design - © Copyright Zac Sawyer 2022