Archaeologists expedition to Honduras have uncovered a city that previously only existed in fairy tales. A number of artifacts from the city called 'White City' or 'City of Gods Monkey' successfully excavated.
Of the 52 artifacts were taken, some special among other the ceremonial seat called metate and vessel decorated with snake motifs, figures of animals, and herring. The most amazing artifacts are the head that believed belong to a jaguar. Head was probably related to the ball game ritual that has become a trend in Central America in ancient times.
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| A 'were-jaguar' effigy, likely representing a combination of a human and spirit animal, is part of a still-buried ceremonial seat, or metate, one of many artifacts discovered in a cache in ruins deep in the Honduran jungle. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1EGHl19) |
"The figure appears wearing a helmet," said Christopher Fisher, a leader of the expedition team once an archaeologist from Colorado State University, who studied the ancient culture of Central America.
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| A stream winds through part of an unexplored valley in Mosquitia in eastern Honduras, a region long rumored to contain a legendary “White City,” also called the City of the Monkey God. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1EGHl19) |
Neil Oscar Cruz, an archaeologist and leader of Honduras Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH), which is also involved in the study, believes that the artifacts are now hidden it from the age of 1,000 to 1,400 years ago.
Expedition searching for the mysterious city actually originates from a myth. Since hundreds of years ago, many explorers tell there is white castle that lies in between the thick leaves of the trees in the forest. Meanwhile, the people of Honduras believe their "Chocolate House", a mystical place that is regarded as a haven where people who go into it will never come back.
In the 1920s, an explorer named Theodore Morde claimed to have found a place which in Latin is called 'La Ciudad Blanca'. Morde home with thousands artifacts that claimed to come from the city.
According to Morde, the city keep the statue of monkey god. He refused to provide information about the location of the city for fear destroyed. Morde then committed suicide and he had not revealed the precise location of his supposed discovery.
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| The University of Houston and National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping team produced this 3D digital topological map which when examined shows a man-made plaza ringed in red. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1wHyKdg) |
In 2012, with the help of the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping and the University of Houston, the archaeologists with a Cessna Skymaster equipped a scanners, that has Light Detection and Ranging (LiDaR) device to scan tropical rain forest region of Honduras.
By using The LiDaR, archaeologists were able to investigate the area covered by tropical rain forest though. Research results surprising. They found the remains of culture in the middle of the jungle.
And finally this year, archaeologists returned to the site to do the excavation. They also brought a number of valuable artifacts. Some artifacts are still left in place, while the location is hidden so as not looted.
As reported by the National Geograhic on Monday, March 2, 2015, from the latest expedition, archaeologists believe that the 'White City' like in a fairy tale is not the only mysterious city that is in the middle of the forest.
Some cities are believed to exist in the wild forest. Thus, not only the existing city, but also of civilization. Now a number of historic heritage is threatened by deforestation. Virgilio Paredes Trapero, IHAH leader, said that if not protected, Honduras forests along the valley will be lost in just 8 years. Traces of the culture there would be gone. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC]
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