Americas

RIGHt This sculpted stucco Maya head excavated at Uxmal, Mexico, may have once decorated the House of the Governor.

Infinity of Nations

Around 700 objects from more than 200 Indigenous communities give a glimpse of the people who have interacted across these diverse environments over thousands of years.

Mexico: Day of the Dead

Long-held traditions evolve and gain new elements with every generation. Current World Archaeology's Carly Hilts travelled to Mexico for the Day of the Dead to find out more.

ABOVE The location of Cedrocucho. This photograph shows the steep sided and heavily vegetated mountain where ruins were recently encountered during forest clearance work (location circled in red). BELOW This 1m wide wall seems to mark the lower eastern boundary of the site. At one end, it connects to a cliff, while at the other it reportedly reaches a ravine.

Cedrocucho: a pre-Inca tropical rainforest site?

The Incas had an eye for exotic rainforest produce, but many questions remain about how and when such goods were exploited by peoples living in the Peruvian highlands. Now a major archaeological complex, discovered during deforestation, promises to shed new light on the subject. Lidio M Valdez ponders who was farming the forest.

LEFT Pachacamac was one of the glories of the Inca world, but it also had a history that stretched back long before the Inca conquest. A long running project has been examining pilgrimage to the site before and during the Inca period. Here, excavations are underway on a remarkable building, referred to as B15 by the team, with the Inca Temple of the Sun in the background. BELOW An aerial view of Pachacamac with a pyramid with ramp in the foreground, the Pilgrims' Plaza and its columns in the middle, and the Temple of the Sun dominating the site to the south.

Pachacamac: pilgrimages and power in ancient Peru

Excavations at Pachacamac in Peru have revealed evidence for large-scale pilgrimages at the time of the Incas. Ongoing research is exploring the pilgrims’ motivations and the ceremonies performed by them. Project director Peter Eeckhout describes the discoveries made by his team and how they illuminate our understanding of the biggest pre-Columbian empire.

Above The spectacular pyramids at Tikal rising above the Guatemalan rainforest. For centuries, such dense foliage has kept the Maya secrets well, but an extensive LiDAR survey has revealed just how much lies shrouded under the canopy.

Mapping the Maya: the lost wonders of a jungle civilisation

The deeds of royal dynasties presiding over Maya city-states in northern Guatemala can still be followed on ornate inscriptions raised in their name. But just how large were their dominions? Recent survey work has revealed that the Maya were far more populous and sophisticated than previously suspected. Tom Garrison told Matthew Symonds how follow-up fieldwork is revolutionising our knowledge of Maya state power.

James Cook’s Thunderbird club

What is it? This ceremonial yew-wood weapon – dating to the late 18th century – was made by the Nuu-cha-nulth people of the Pacific North-west Coast of Canada. Measuring 25cm in length, the club handle is decorated with black human…

Ancient America: following the Thunderbird

Well-known for his television programmes on the archaeology of South America, curator Dr Jago Cooper now focuses on the ancient cultures of the northwest coast of North America in his new exhibition at the British Museum, as he tells Diana Bentley

Above The pyramid at Calakmul peeks through the jungle canopy.

CALAKMUL

Alice Stevens ventures deep into the Mexican jungle where, surrounded by the echoing screech of howler monkeys, Calakmul rises above the canopy, and takes a stand as the most impressive Mayan temple remaining today.