It is incomprehensible to us from today's point of view how a society could sacrifice people including children on a large scale, tear out their hearts, skin them and bathe in their blood and all that in public, daily. However, this is exactly what many of the Latin American peoples did in pre-Columbian times. They... Continue Reading →
There are strange places in the middle of the sea that lurk in front of the sailor like trapdoors in front of the wanderer. The Abrolohos Reef in Australia, the Goodwin Sands off England, the Skerki Banks off Tunis, the Bassa do Indias near Mozambique and Chinchorro Banks off Yucatan are just a few of... Continue Reading →
For humans and animals, the Yucatan context has always meant that they had to search for water underground or use broken Cenotes as wells.
La Isabela, the first European settlement in the Americas, is threatened by erosion and decay.
In their quest for wealth, the European conquerors met with legends that made them penetrate ever further into the interior of the American continent. One of these legends was that of El Dorado, 'the Golden one'. While various cartoons and films today portray El Dorado as a mythical city, it was more likely a human being.
Pillaging of cultural artifacts from ancient shipwrecks causes enormous damage.
Some of the most stunning museums on submerged cities and wrecks see the light in Latin-America.
Among the burials found among the indigenous population of Panama is an astonishing grave, the burial of a young man who seems to have fallen asleep sitting.
The old city of the Inca Cusco in Peru is surrounded by numerous legends and a visit to this Inca city at an altitude of three thousand meters is a must for every globetrotter. A hidden mysterious lies, however, underneath.
You could start the story like in a pitch-black fairy tale. "Once upon a time there was a young girl, barely sixteen years old. She had just given birth to her first child and after long wanderings in unknown areas she was desperately searching for water in a region where there seemed to be neither... Continue Reading →
There are those mystic places in which you change your business attire to an Indiana Jones hat and to safari colours. Where you suddenly don’t mind anymore that there is no light at night and that you have to try to distinguish your face in the shabby mirror of the even shabbier bathroom cabin with... Continue Reading →
The Hoatzin is a most peculiar bird and may be even the oldest in the world. It has surprising characteristics...
In May 2014, the American explorer Barry Clifford announced that he had found the wreckage of the Santa Maria. His announcement made headlines, even though he did not produce evidence. The hype was understandable. The Santa Maria was Christopher Columbus' flagship on his first voyage to the Americas and one of only three ships to... Continue Reading →
In the National Museum of San Salvador (El Salvador) there stands a simple clay sculpture of a man. At first glance you think he is wrapped in feathers. At second glance, his clothes seem strange. And indeed they are. He wears a man's skin that has been stripped off and is decaying on his body.... Continue Reading →
El Salvador in Central America is one of the most volcanic and earthquake-hit countries in the world. Twenty-two volcanoes crowd into the smallest of spaces. There is hardly a place in the country from which one does not see these mighty giants. The capital San Salvador, on the other hand, has only few sights. Whatever... Continue Reading →
It was a game of life and death. The “Pok-a-tok” in the the Mayan language was a ball game similar to soccer. It was held during ritual celebrations. The object of the game was to move the rubber ball by bouncing it off the hips or knees without using the hands or feet. The team... Continue Reading →
This amazing picture shows a prehistoric indigenous burial found under water at the coast of Costa Rica. You might wonder, why people were buried in this place under water? The answer is simple. When the burial took place, there was no water in that place. Waters rose. For over 90% of the existence of humankind,... Continue Reading →
Do you feel the soul of a pirate in you? I hope the idea of drinking a glass of rum does not make you seasick. No ? So here is the exciting tale of how ended the ship of Blackbeard, a lawless pirate who lived in fury and exaltation, to the rhythm of fighting and... Continue Reading →
The most impressive is the absolute loneliness of the region and the fact that it is despite all odds inhabited. This extensive, empty highland of Bolivia is an imposing area. The first time I came to the Altiplano was in the year 2000, when I worked researching in the Amazonian Jungle in Peru and this... Continue Reading →
Archaeology Mysteries 