Archive for the ‘Ruins of The Americas’

  • 5 Pyramids you ought to know about
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    5 Pyramids you ought to know about
    If you’re anything like us, then there’s only two kinds of pyramids that you would have heard of. The first resides in Egypt, and they’re called great for a very good reason. The second was a kind of marketing scheme that was actually a scam. But there’s more to pyramids than just this. Pyramids are sacred structures built all over the world and not just limited to Egypt. The whole point of traveling is to gain a better understanding of new cultures and if you share the same opinion as us then you have to bear witness to these pyramidic structures. Pyramids of Guimar (Tenerife) Generally when someone says pyramid there are very few images that spring to mind. If you’re very lucky, you know of those in the Amazon Basin or in Indonesia. But if you want a slice of something seriously mysterious, take a trip to Tenerife in  [...]
    Posted at August 6th, 2010 at 12:08 am
  • Amazing Inca Architecture And Construction At Ollantaytambo
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    Amazing Inca Architecture And Construction At Ollantaytambo
    Ollantaytambo located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level is an Inca archaeological site. Ollantaytambo is 60 kilometers northwest of Cusco in Southern Peru and lies on route to Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail. The town of Ollantaytambo and the region surrounding it was conquered by Inca King Pachacuti. The town was part of the king’s personal estate. Post the conquest the king rebuilt the town and also carried extensive construction projects of terracing and irrigation. The served as a staying place for the Inca nobility and the terraces surrounding the town were farmed yanaconas who were retained by the king. After the king’s death the town came under the supervision of his family clan. The town again came into light during the Spanish conquest of Peru as it served as capital for the Inca resistance leader Manco Inca. In  [...]
    Posted at September 17th, 2009 at 09:09 pm
  • The Great Pyramid of Cholula
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    The Great Pyramid of Cholula
    The Great Pyramid of Cholula is a gigantic shrine-pyramid complex situated close to the dual volcanic peaks of Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl and ten minutes proximity from the city of Puebla on the old highway route to Mexico City. It has been averred by the Guinness World Records as the largest monument globally with a mammoth assessed volume of above 4.45 million cubic metres, even toppling the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza by more than one-third. Devoted to the eminent Aztec deity Quetzalcoati, the Great Pyramid of Cholula was believed to have been constructed by one of the seven giants known as Xelhua in accordance to the Aztec’s faith. Its ongoing construction spanned generations over 2nd century BC to the early 16th century wherein it expanded to no less than four times. The orientation of the Cholula Pyramid is to the  [...]
    Posted at August 19th, 2009 at 10:08 am
  • Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part III
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    Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part III
    The robbed burials of Tomb 12 that were discovered in 1985 lay beneath the highest temple complex, there were glyphs found on the walls that referred to the four chief directions in accurate orientation. A blue colored vessel was found that was considered to be a grave offering or a gift from Rio Azul ruler that is placed in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Also unravelled was the most ancient kind of discovery was a four inch high Maya statuette sculpted in a form of a whistle about 1,500years ago in an untouched burial of Tomb 23 and may depict the buried noble. A glyph found on a pot from a companion burial Tomb 19 depicts the riverside city. A 1,500 year old skeletal remains of a tall Mayan along with precious artefacts were uncovered from Tomb 19. Valuable items were mostly concealed in memorial caches amounting to thirteen in  [...]
    Posted at August 3rd, 2009 at 08:08 am
  • Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part II
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    Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part II
    The premier national park in Guatemala, the Tikal National Park has a site that is the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Monument. Tikal, a big Mayan city encircled by immaculate Tropical Forests started being inhabited between 800 B.C.-900A.D. Rio Azul donned a crucial role in the Tikal’s expansion and was its significant ally against its bitter rival, Calakmul. However, by A.D. 530, the unexpected happened with Calakmul attacking Rio Azul. In the Late Classic period, Tikal got back its past grandeur and Rio Azul’s populace grew yet again with new monuments being built. Though Tikal spans 112 sq.kms of which, a mere 16 sq.kms has been recorded and as many as 4000 structures been found till date. The Tomb 1 that was bore the ravages of the looters has intricately woven mat designs at the entrance that was an indicator of  [...]
    Posted at July 31st, 2009 at 11:07 am
  • Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part I
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    Rio Azul – Lost Maya City – Part I
    The magnificent ancient Maya City of Rio Azul located in north-east Guatemala spans a 750acres area with a long lost history that has been analysed and unearthed in 1962. The realm of Maya spread across 1,00,000 sq.miles and raised many vast centers in present day Mexico, Guatemala ,Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The great Maya civilization to which Rio Azul belonged developed in the period between 250 B.C. to A.D. 250. Rio Azul, the administrative centre which at its peak in the eight century A.D. numbered close to 3,500 and another 1,500 in the north east suburb comprised mostly of noble military families along with their assistants, servers and retainers. The classic Mayans maintained articulately controlled landscapes, cultivated fields and water filled canals. They would drain swamps for cultivating crops like beans, corn  [...]
    Posted at July 29th, 2009 at 08:07 am
  • Mesa Verde Ruins – The Cultural Green Table
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    Mesa Verde Ruins – The Cultural Green Table
    Mesa Verde stands proudly with its inherited association to more than 20 American Indian tribes, splendorous display of primordial stone- age existence, enchanting mountainous views, harrowing valleys, several towers and salubrious climate. Its rich, absorbing cultural influx is evident as one visits the Mesa Verde National Park.` Mesa Verde National Park The  Mesa Verde National Park, a drive away from Colorado, is over a century old national park which bears premier, prominent mention in the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The observation points and peaks in this national park touch amazing, dizzy heights of about 8,500ft. The key areas of prime interest revolve around the two ruins of Balcony House and the Cliff Palace. As one treks the mountain terrains to reach Balcony House, which is renowned for its cliff dwellings, exceptional  [...]
    Posted at June 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
  • Nazca Lines
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    Nazca Lines
    At first look you will have many questions in you mind. Are they work for an ancient religion? Did the aliens from outer space make them? Was there a civilization on earth before the humans walked the planet? Well that is what these gigantic sketches drawn in the Nazca desert of western Peru and are known as Nazca Lines. The sketches number in hundreds and depict hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks or orcas, llamas, and lizards. During 200 BC and 700 AD an ancient pre-Inca civilization existed in the region and it is considered that the Nazca Lines were made by them. It is believed that this was a way they thought of communicating with the havens as the gods in the sky would be able to see them. The largest of these figures is over 270 meters longs. The total area encompassing the lines is over 500 square kilometers. The  [...]
    Posted at May 28th, 2009 at 03:05 am
  • Palenque
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    Palenque
    Hidden in the dense forest in a spectacular mountain setting are the Mayan ruins of Palenque. It lies near the Usumacinta River in Mexico. The sire is 150 meters above sea level and is located at a distance of 130 kilometers south of Ciudad del Carem. The ruins of Palenque are famous for its complicate sculptures and have archeologists uncover many facts about the Mayan civilization. The city became a settlement as early as 300 BC but it became a commercial and religious centre in the 6th century. Due to its location the city enjoyed abundance of water from the surrounding mountain streams and waterfalls. There was an elaborate system of aqueduct to channel the water in the city. Most of the city was engulfed by the forest when the excavation first started. As of now my 30% of the city has been cleared of the forest. The total area  [...]
    Posted at May 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 am
  • Caracol … Place of Three Hills
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    Caracol … Place of Three Hills
    If all Belize Mayan sites have to be ranked for there importance and grandeur then Caracol would be placed on top of the list. Caracol, or El Caracol as it is locally known lies in the foothills of Maya Mountains at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The city is surrounded by dense forest and lies on the Vaca Plateau. Caracol is one of the largest ancient Maya cities and covers an area of 65 square miles and at its peak had a population of over 2,00,000 people. Mayan settlers moved to Caracol around 1200 BC but the bulk of construction happened in between 300 AD and 800 AD. Archeologists have significant proof that the city attacked and conquered Tikal in 562 AD. Later the city also conquered Naranjo in AD 631. These two conquests boosted the military and economic might of the city and propelled population grown in the region. The main structure  [...]
    Posted at May 22nd, 2009 at 01:05 am
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