John SchragMar 2

I had the pleasure of spending today wandering through the abandoned city Uxmal in the Yucatan. It was an amazing experience. I loved seeing the architecture and art of the Mayan people before Spanish colonialism.

I was trying to imagine what the city looked like when the pyramid was painted red and in full use — when the public squares and palaces thronged with 25 thousand inhabitants. I’d grown up watching so many shows and movies set in Ancient Rome and Egypt, yet almost nothing set here. (And yes, I know why.) I did find myself a mystery novel set there, but sadly it wasn’t written by a modern Yucatecan person (many of whom still speak Mayan.)

#Uxmal #Mexico

Show threadCM HarringtonMar 2
@jvschrag In the late 70s my parents and I would take holiday in the Yucatan. Stunningly beautiful. Coba, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum… it was a lot different then. We even came across a large unrestored ruin. That same trip we got chased by wild boars in the middle of the jungle, and had to haul arse up a tree for awhile. It was hilarious and scary (I was like, 8.).
Show threadJohn Schrag
@octothorpe They’re always uncovering new stuff. And now with ground-penetrating radar they are finding entirely new archeological sites. The thought of the labour required to build those structures — *somebody* had to get the rocks to the top.
Mar 2 at 3:17amWeb
Show threadCM HarringtonMar 2
@jvschrag it’s wild!!