The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-07
MAYA RUINS To
BEEXPLORED
SOON
Experts Given Right TO Dig
Freely Among Ancient
Yucatan Cities.

NEW YORK, March Having
cemented cordial relations Of CO..
operation with the newly.formed
Archaeological Institution of Yucca
tan, in Merida, the Yucatan capital.
distinguished American archaeolo-
gists hope to begin next January a
thorough scientific survey and ex.
cavatiol to reveal the mysteries of
the lost Maya civilization, ruins and
relics of which are the oldest found
in the American hemisphere.
Excavation probably will be first
undertaken In the wonderful ruins
of4the ancient city of Chichen TIA.
The work will be directly under the
auspices of the savants of the Car.
negie Institution of Washington. 1t
will have, however, the active sup
port of the experts of the Museum
Of the American Indian, of this city;
the Peabody Museum OF Harvard
University, and, most important
perhaps of all. it will have for the
first time the unqualified and en-.
thusiastic cooperation of the local
authorities, the wealthy citizens and
the scientific men of Yucatan.
Was in Pioneer Expedition.
This was the news brought back
to New York yesterday by DIR. Mar
shall II. Saville, curator of the
Latin-American collection of the
Museum of the American Indian, at
Broadway and One Hundred and
Ftfty-fifth street. DIR. Saville thirty
three years ago, as member of the
Harvard archaeological expedition,
was one of the pioneers in uncover.
ing and disclosing TO the world the
marvels of this hoary old civilization
of Yucatan, antedating by centuries
even that of the Aztecs and Toltecs
of Mexico.
"Chichen liza probably is well
chosen for the initial scientific ex-
plorations,' said Prof. Saville, back
at his desk in the museum, after
disembarking from Ward Line
steamship. The present govern.
ment of Yucatan, which is highly
friendly to the enterprise of explora.
ton and development of it's rich
store of antiquities, is just finishing
fine modern macadam automobile
highway leading directly from the
railway station at Citas to the site
of the ruined city. Completion of
that highway will make it possible
to leave Merida by rail, pass five or
six hours in the Maya ruins and
return to Merida in single day.
And the same may be said of the
ruins of Uxmal
Dates Are Uncertain.
speaking of Chichen liza ner-
maps l should have said cities rather
than city. There really were two
cities of Chichen liza, the one con-
slderably more ancient than the
other. The older of the two, in NV
opinion, goes back in its origin from
400 to 1900 years"
Some archaeologists venture the
guess that the temples and columns.
the richly hieroglypher relics of
Cxmal, Chichen liza, Motul and AXE
mark civilization and art az an.
cient, if not more so. than those of
Egypt which are coming to light
through the exploration at Luxor
OF the tonbs of Tut-Ankh-Amen
and other Pharaohs in the Valley
of the Kings. DR., Saville, however,
was content to make his guess at
about ! 400 years"
But Chichen liza" Prof. Saville
continued, Is pfObably not the most
ancient Of the lost Maya cities. The
city of AXE is doubtless the oldest
OF these wonderfully interesting
Hucatan ruins. | stood there just
one week ago today and AXE is only
two hours from the thriving. modern
city of Merida This illustrates how
accessible these wonders are to our
scientific investigation. And yet it
is fact that of the once great Maya
city Of AXE we have not even a
plan"