Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

[Cheezie]

Well, I just returned from the Yucatan where I visited as many Mayan Sites as I could. I searched the entire beach of Cancun and a few DL sites, and did quite well. Here's my 4 month haul, with the highlight of course being my copper alloy bronze ring, which I plan to make replicas of. The 1910 centavo is nice too. And I believe the lead under the ring is a Spanish musket round. The slag pieces may be proof of Mayan Metallurgy, but I'm still researching that.

I'm happy to be involved in this online community, what a great variety of world travelling metal detectorists. You all rock! Blessed Be.

 

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[eggbag]

Awesome haul! Just got back from the Yucatan on tuesday, wish I could 've brought the dfx down there.Went to Uxmal and Kabah they were truley breathtaking sites.The girlfriend and I were in Merida in a market and there was a little booth with old mexican sivler coins but the owner was gone for the day.We checked again the next day but still no shopkeeper,too bad.A man also approached me on the street at night trying to sell me more modern mexican silver coins like a 60ish mexico olympic commemerative.But they were over priced and I feared they could be fakes.How about a close up of that mayan ring?

 

[Cheezie]

Sounds like a great trip Bud. I wasn't able to get to Uxmal but it is probably the most important site there. I found this ring 8 inches down about 40 yards from a Mayan settlement. Truly a piece of history, which may add in my theories of Ancient America. I plan to have an analysis down in the future to see if the copper came from Western Mexico or from further north. This is the best picture I could take with my phone.

 

[eggbag]

Thanks for the ring pic! Thats unreal,keep us updated on any futer info on it.I was wondering if the mayans had used much copper. At Uxmal ther was a small display area near the gift and food area but I saw only stone relics.Our tour guide did show us an elevated pad with a sculpture on it that he said when excavated the historians found many relics of all different materials.It was some type of offerings alter.But all these relics were in a museam in mexico city.He then told us if we go to this museam we will need a few days to view everything.

 

[txkickergirl]

wow what finds I would be in heaven

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Cheezie, if you want any help analyzing that slag let me know. Nice finds.

 

[Cheezie]

Larger Slag Shot

I believe it to be tin mostly, it's not as light is aluminum. It's definitely not iron, magnetic tested. Most was found in the same area as the ring, which is base copper with a possible bronze finish. Current academic belief is that the Yucatec Natives did not heat metals, but instead had nearly all of their jewelry shipped or muled from Western Mexico. Now given the deep understandings of the Mayan culture in astronomy, math, and architecture.. why is the invention of a bellows, metal tools, and copper alloys not possible?

There is a current archaeometallurgical study being done in El Salvador which is proving otherwise for that particular area of the Mayan Empire. I hope to eventually aid these random test pit digging.. slow pace shovelling Professionals in a complete metal artifact removal and analysis. Mexico is one hard nut to crack when it comes to what the government thinks is their property, which they only recently in 1970's stole from private ownership. That's why most World Archaeologists avoid dealing with Mexico and instead invest their time & money in other countries in Central America.

Still much can be done in the US before having to involve Mexican officials, especially in Louisana up to Ohio. The fact is the Proto-Mayans and the Moundbuilders are of the same high culture originally. In Louisana, someone interested in this particular cultural history can assist in current ongoing digs. This is my next step in my Indiana Jones Quest, & hopefully in time I can use my metal detector along with other professional finders to show these Archaeologists exactly what they are overlooking. Anyone Agree?

 

[eggbag]

I agree 100%. I'd love to be right there with you dfx swingin' away!

 

[Cheezie]

Well..

I coincide perhaps my statements were harsh regarding people in Mexican Archaeology, and of course you could know 'top notch' professionals. I however have seen oppressive actions from non-open minded individuals barring discovery rather then embracing every possible course of action. I have been told many things by a woman who worked in the excavations of Mexico City, and she has expressed a complete lack of confidence in her past employers. Her story involved her superior which she idolized in the beginning of her archaeological career, only to realize later that he profited from his own people's history sold to the highest bidder. This was the Gran Jefe, a man she had much respect for only to see his name on boxes sold illegally. The important moral is that everything about our cultural histories should be found and analysed by open minded people, be they Academic or not. Regarding the governmental control which Mexico has over all the cultural sites in the Yucatan, this is purely profit driven, and they had no interest in them until a profit was possible.

Chichen Itza for example was once owned by an American who built a very small tourist operation there because of his love of the historical site. He was the first to convince people to venture from Progresso into the jungle to see this site which is now a World Wonder. He also began archaeological operations which produced the greatest finds from this area of the world. He then with no moral dilemma, sent the artifacts to the states to be analysed and put in museums. The Mexican government decided at that time to steal his property and bar him from every returning to the Yucatan once they saw profitability in the ashes of a culture which their ancestors had destroyed. He died without every seeing the Yucatan again. Eventually, after they pillaged the site, the Federal Courts returned the property to his family which then sold it to local parties, only to be stolen again when they announced a complete government takeover of all sites which could be used for profit. These are facts, and the future must reflect these previous grave errors.

Cultural History of great people belong to all great people, not to one area of a modern empire but to all in the world who wish to know and discovery more about our past. You may truly believe that Archaeologists are doing all they can with the limited funds allowed to them, and the massive red tape parade that encircles all past culture discoveries. I will not sit on the sidelines and wait til Governments are good and ready to reveal our history, I will actively seek the truth myself.