The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-18
LINDY'S MAYAN
CITIES ARE IN
DENSE JUNGLE
Two Are Near Enough to
Lakes for Planes to
Bear Explorers.

BE- Science NfTffCe
WASHINGTON. Oct. is-In dis
covering four ruined Maya cities
dotted on the great UNEMPLOYED area
Of the Yucatan peninsula OF Mexico.
the airplane flights Of Colonel and
Mrs. Charles Lindberg and Carncgic
institution Psychologists have given
a better conception Of the line 81
growth Of the ancient Maya civiliEa-
ton.
The newly discovered cities lie In
a line stretching northeastward
from the Old Empire region Of the
Maya, located largely In what IS
now the state of Guatemala, where
the civilization emerged about the
time Of Christ. The newly found
ruins connect this older area with
the New Empire region, on the
north end Of Yucatan peninsula.
Chichen TIA is the outstanding ex-
ample Of this New Empire culture.
Flying over unmapped dense trop-
icaI iungles, the Lindbergh party
sighted three ruined cities definitely
determined to be new" A fourth
city. one Of the largest found. may
be a new discovery, but it may prove
to be one seen by DR.. Thomas Gam
some years ago In the vicinity Of
Lake Bacalar.
Approach Is Laborious
Many months, and perhaps years,
will be required TO investigate and
explore the cities located from the
air. Many weeks of hard travel by
land will be necessary to place land
parties at the ruins.
But when the broken temples are
rescued from the enyeloping vegeta-
ton. there will be available better
idea Of the spread Of the Maya, who
more than fifteen centuries ago rose
from primitive simplicity to a COM
pick state with highly developed re-
ligion, government and monument
tai architecture. How and when
the center of Maya culture shifted
from the Old Empire region to the
New Empire has been one Of the
unanswered questions. The con-
Meeting cities now found probably
will supply the answer.
Nearly as exciting to archaeolo-
gists as finding new ruins is the
fact that no cities were found in
the area of the Mexican state of
Campeche, which was surveyed on
the second days flight from Merida
southwark. Coupled with the dis
or1yay.~y - cities ro
to the east, the absence of Maya
settlement sites in the western part
of the Yucatan peninsula is signifi
cant in explaining the spread of the
Maya civilization.
Ruins in Flat Country
The four discovered ruins are
located in fiat country. From the
air the raised temple mounds could
be seen twenty miles away in some
cases. But giant trees and dense
vegetation rise about hundred and
fifty feet to shroud the gliStening
white stones with which time has
dealt severely. Only by flying low
over the area could the central
bculpltS Ol lllb ClblcS nc ocNu anu
studied from the speeding airplane.
The first ruined city, seen on the
first days flight, is located in the
southeast cornereof the state of
Campeche, some fifty miles from
the Guatemalan boundary line.
Situated in the heart Of unin-
habite jungles, far from lakes of
any kind, it will present difficult
objective to land parties.
Of the three cities discovered in
Ouintana Roo during the most
fruitful fourth day flight, two are
located sufficiently near lakes to
allow early exploration by parties
transported by air to these lakes.
The city near Lake Bacalar is prob
ably more extended IN area than
the others. The last city discovered
and the one nearest the coastal
ruins of Tulum is the least &C
cesSible of the three, due to the
absence of water near it on which
an airDIaOe might land