Luke Caverns

And I might add, you know, when the expeditions of Stevens and Catherwood in the 1830s were happening, as they arrive in Belize and they go all the way up through the Yucatan and they visit various Maya sites, so much of these Maya cities are completely overgrown by the jungle. And the alignments that so many of these buildings have to astronomical bodies are

And I might add, you know, when the expeditions of Stevens and Catherwood in the 1830s were happening, as they arrive in Belize and they go all the way up through the Yucatan and they visit various Maya sites, so much of these Maya cities are completely overgrown by the jungle. And the alignments that so many of these buildings have to astronomical bodies are

And I might add, you know, when the expeditions of Stevens and Catherwood in the 1830s were happening, as they arrive in Belize and they go all the way up through the Yucatan and they visit various Maya sites, so much of these Maya cities are completely overgrown by the jungle. And the alignments that so many of these buildings have to astronomical bodies are

are completely covered up by the jungle. The evidence of it isn't even there until you clear the trees away and then you have people who are studying archaeoastronomy, which is really still kind of in its infancy.

are completely covered up by the jungle. The evidence of it isn't even there until you clear the trees away and then you have people who are studying archaeoastronomy, which is really still kind of in its infancy.

are completely covered up by the jungle. The evidence of it isn't even there until you clear the trees away and then you have people who are studying archaeoastronomy, which is really still kind of in its infancy.

And, you know, just studying the way that ancient cultures really studied their astronomical world. So much of this couldn't even be observed. Like when I was at this city that was near Calakmul, El Ramonal, which is a pre-classic site, it's impossible to... Without modern day technology, without clearing away all the trees, it would be impossible to actually identify any alignments.

And, you know, just studying the way that ancient cultures really studied their astronomical world. So much of this couldn't even be observed. Like when I was at this city that was near Calakmul, El Ramonal, which is a pre-classic site, it's impossible to... Without modern day technology, without clearing away all the trees, it would be impossible to actually identify any alignments.

And, you know, just studying the way that ancient cultures really studied their astronomical world. So much of this couldn't even be observed. Like when I was at this city that was near Calakmul, El Ramonal, which is a pre-classic site, it's impossible to... Without modern day technology, without clearing away all the trees, it would be impossible to actually identify any alignments.

That's kind of what most of my career has been. Getting up on one of these buildings and scanning the entire thing for even one line of stones that I felt was intact. If I could get just one line of stones, I could guess at the alignment. But as you say, a lot of them, I got no stones.

That's kind of what most of my career has been. Getting up on one of these buildings and scanning the entire thing for even one line of stones that I felt was intact. If I could get just one line of stones, I could guess at the alignment. But as you say, a lot of them, I got no stones.

That's kind of what most of my career has been. Getting up on one of these buildings and scanning the entire thing for even one line of stones that I felt was intact. If I could get just one line of stones, I could guess at the alignment. But as you say, a lot of them, I got no stones.

Yeah. And in ancient times, you know, when these cities were at their peak, they're at least, you know, we think that most of these large cities, there are no trees that are growing in the middle of the city. They're clearing all of it down. I mean, they use the wood for everything from construction to stucco. And yeah.

Yeah. And in ancient times, you know, when these cities were at their peak, they're at least, you know, we think that most of these large cities, there are no trees that are growing in the middle of the city. They're clearing all of it down. I mean, they use the wood for everything from construction to stucco. And yeah.

Yeah. And in ancient times, you know, when these cities were at their peak, they're at least, you know, we think that most of these large cities, there are no trees that are growing in the middle of the city. They're clearing all of it down. I mean, they use the wood for everything from construction to stucco. And yeah.

Even in Honduras at Copan, their city began to fall apart because they had no trees left.

Even in Honduras at Copan, their city began to fall apart because they had no trees left.

Even in Honduras at Copan, their city began to fall apart because they had no trees left.

Changed the weather pattern. No more trees, no more water dropped on their crops.

Changed the weather pattern. No more trees, no more water dropped on their crops.