How long did it take to excavate the Maya ruins in Mexico? Were treasures found?
   Aaron, 13
Markato, Minnesota

Dr. dig responds:
The Maya civilization flourished in lowland Central America from a.d. 250-900 (the era known as the Classic Period). The Maya were a sophisticated people who built impressive city-states and flat-topped pyramid-temples and developed a system of writing and a calendar. They exchanged valuable items such as jade, quetzal feathers, and chocolate, as well as more ordinary goods such as salt and maize. There have been many archaeological investigations into the Maya heritage. The richest Maya tomb, the Temple of the Inscriptions, was explored by Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz in a long-term project starting in 1949. Here, at the base of a hidden stairway, he discovered the burial of King Pakal I. The king had been buried in a limestone coffin whose lid was carved with a scene of his return to life. The king wore a jade funerary mask and, included in his tomb, were precious jade items.