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Guatemala : El Mirador, lost kingdom of the mayas

ANSALONI Marco / hemis.fr

70 km and 2 days walking in the jungle of Peten, Guatemala, to getinto the wonderful world of the Maya kingdom of Khan. Anexpedition to observe one of the largest archaeological excavationson the planet. Directed by professor Richard Hansen, IdahoUniversity, some 400 people including archaeologists, caravans,workers, cooks, etc. live part of the year looking for the remains ofthe Mirador, cleaning the temples and the old ‘Calzadas’ connectingthe various towns now lost. An expedition in contact with peoplewho roam the forest in search of answers, or simply to rediscovertheir indigenous origins. The reign of Khan survived for almost sixcenturies (400 BC – 150 AD) in contact with a hostile environmentthat finally prevailed on this civilization that, from here, gave birthto the Maya world.

HEMIS_552138 : Guatemala, Guatemala City, Laboratorio del Mirador project, Plate Polychrome a convex base, Inside, the iconographicrepresentation of Kan Dynasty, Late Classic Period (550-800 AD) 

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HEMIS_552075Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archeological site, top of the Pyramid ofLa Danta

HEMIS_552023Guatemala, Peten Department, caravan water into the jungle to El Mirador

HEMIS_552048Guatemala, Peten Department, Mixco, base camp of Naranjito, Dr Thomas P.Schreiner, University of Berkley, Biogeographic study the paleoenvironment in thedriveway of the 32 Maya KM separating Tintal to El Mirador

HEMIS_554202Guatemala, drawing depicting the reconstruction of the top La Danta pyramid

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HEMIS_552142Guatemala, Guatemala City, Laboratorio del Mirador project, Terracottta bowl,outdoor decor with an anthropomorphic face, Late Classic Period (550-800 AD) 

HEMIS_552108Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the access tunnel atthe base of the pyramid structure of 34

HEMIS_552060Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Archaeologist GustavoMartinez Hidalgo has spent 20 years as head of Cascabel area in the Mirador, he hasin his hand a piece of decorated pottery (ceramic) found in this area

HEMIS_552044Guatemala, Peten Department, inside El Peten forest, to El Mirador

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HEMIS_552109Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, enormous masks withplaster original of the ancient era (2400-2500 BC) found in the Pyramid Structure 34

HEMIS_552045Guatemala, Peten Department, Mixco, Field of Naranjito, Tomb opened by DrThomas P. Schreiner

HEMIS_552070Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Top of the Pyramid ofthe Danta, the biggest one

HEMIS_552094Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, restorer Lilian Zeaconsolidating the basis of one of the two lower pyramids as part of the triadicarchitectural complex of the Tiger

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HEMIS_552103Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, a worker found acarved stone at the base of the 2nd La Danta Pyramid Complex

HEMIS_552119Guatemala, Peten Department, butterfly inside El Peten forest to El Mirador

HEMIS_552025Guatemala, Peten Department, inside El Peten forest

HEMIS_552022Guatemala, Peten Department, spider inside El Peten forest

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HEMIS_552064 : Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Structure 34, mask and frieze

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HEMIS_552134Guatemala, Guatemala City, Laboratorio del Mirador project, vessels coming fromthe El Mirador site

HEMIS_552141Guatemala, Guatemala City, Laboratorio del Mirador project, Green Vase withstucco, Calssic Late Period (550-800 AD) 

HEMIS_552143Guatemala, Guatemala City, Laboratorio del Mirador project, Polychrome plate witha convex base iconographic representation, Late Classic Period (550-800 AD) 

HEMIS_554203Guatemala, drawing depicting the reconstruction of El mirador city during Mayaperiod

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HEMIS_552032Guatemala, Peten Department, base camp of Tintal

HEMIS_552033Guatemala, Peten Department, base camp of Tintal, Top of the Pyramid of Tintal

HEMIS_552040Guatemala, Peten Department, Maya Tomb sacked near the camp Tintal

HEMIS_552036Guatemala, Peten Department, base camp of Tintal, Victor Manuel is the chief ofguardians

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HEMIS_552046Guatemala, map of El Mirador archaeological site

HEMIS_552047Guatemala, Peten Department, Mixco, base camp of Naranjito, Dr Thomas P.Schreiner, University of Berkley, showing an hipotetical reconstruction of La Dantapyramid during the Maya Age

HEMIS_552050Guatemala, Peten Department, Mixco, base camp of Naranjito, Stretch of road thatlinked the Mayan Tintal with the complex of El Mirador

HEMIS_552052Guatemala, map of El Mirador archaeological site

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HEMIS_552053Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, important stele of theLate Preclassic period (350 BC - 150 BC), Character to the side of a god bird, In theupper right is the world's oldest hieroglyphic text in the Maya lowlands of the LowsLands

HEMIS_552057Guatemala, map of El Mirador archaeological site

HEMIS_552058Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, archaeologist duringSunday reading a book into the archaeologists camp

HEMIS_552061Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, hut of archaeologists,Archeologist Vanessa Rodens teaches German in the hours of rest on Sunday

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HEMIS_552067 : Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Pyramid of Pava in the complex of the Pyramid of La Danta

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HEMIS_552062Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Frieze of Structure 34

HEMIS_552063Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, stairway to theAstronomical Observatory

HEMIS_552066Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Pyramid of Pava in thecomplex of the Pyramid of La Danta

HEMIS_552069Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Top of the Pyramid ofthe Danta, the biggest one

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HEMIS_552073Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Pyramid of La Danta

HEMIS_552074Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Great Mask of theClassic Period Temprano located at the top of the La Danta pyramid

HEMIS_552091Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the archaeologistGustavo Martinez Hidalgo shows a rare piece of wall with stucco on the originalPyramid of Cascabel

HEMIS_552077Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, archaeologist MonicaChavarria with some of the objects found at the base of the Pyramid of La Danta

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HEMIS_552089Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the restorer CarmenRamos cleans a mask in very poor conditions in the area called Cascabel, named forthe rattlesnake that lives in the area

HEMIS_552078Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, archaeologistFrancisco Lopez holding the tip of the flute with the shape of a head

HEMIS_552092Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the mask of thestructure 313

HEMIS_552093Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, stairs leading to thePyramid of the Tiger

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HEMIS_552096Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the archaeologist JoseGuzman at the base of the pyramid side of the Tiger

HEMIS_552099Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Chef Antoniopreparing the bread in one of the four dining rooms (three are for the workers andone for the team of archaeologists)

HEMIS_552105Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the archaeologicalexcavations are controlled directly by the army to avoid the traffic of goods found onthe spot

HEMIS_552111Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, enormous masks withplaster original of the ancient era (2400-2500 BC) found in the Pyramid Structure 34

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HEMIS_552034 : Guatemala, Peten Department, base camp of Tintal, Top of the Pyramid of Tintal

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HEMIS_552112Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the basis of theinternal structure of the Pyramid Structure 34

HEMIS_552115Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, the material found onthe ruins and ready to be sent to Guatemala City for the cataloging and restoration

HEMIS_552117Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, petroglyph access tothe city in the Mirador area called La Muerte

HEMIS_552123Guatemala, Peten Department, coming back to Carmelita Village

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HEMIS_552125Guatemala, Peten Department, pieces of pottery and stones found in the excavationsat La Florida, site of Maya residential Palace complex

HEMIS_552126Guatemala, Peten Department, Maya residential Palace complex

HEMIS_552129Guatemala, Peten Department, Home of the Mayan community of San Jose

HEMIS_552133Guatemala, Peten Department, San Jose, Jose Alfredo Chayax is president of theMayan community Itza with just 40 people talking, the protection of the language isto promote programs of adjustment of the Mayan villages still exist

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HEMIS_552031Guatemala, Peten Department, trunk covered with thorns inside El Peten forest

HEMIS_552011Guatemala, Peten Department, city of Flores on Peten Itza Lake

HEMIS_552014Guatemala, Peten Department, entry in The Peten Maya Biosphere Reserve

HEMIS_552030Guatemala, Peten Department, inside El Peten forest, green locust of the jungle

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HEMIS_552116 : Guatemala, Peten Department, El Mirador archaeological site, Laboratory for archaeologists, It is the only place that connects theoutside world through a link a few hours a day, It is also used as nursing and exhibition on new findings and theories

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