National Geographic Treasure Seekers Code of the Maya Kings

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00:00:10 Code of Maya Kings
00:00:18 They would tantalize explorers
00:00:25 ruined cities lost in the jungles
00:00:32 Inscrutable faces etched in stone.
00:00:40 Mysterious writing.
00:00:48 Who had left these messages
00:00:52 It would take more than a century to
00:01:01 Two extraordinary people
00:01:08 Separated by 100 years,
00:01:11 they would unveil one of the greatest
00:01:51 Code of Maya Kings
00:02:01 Chichen Itza, Mexico 1842.
00:02:08 An American lawyer named
00:02:11 wanders the empty ruins
00:02:18 He knows what he wants to find.
00:02:25 It has kept him going
00:02:31 exploring the desolate jungles
00:02:40 Kept him pushing on
00:02:44 poisonous snakes, and insect-plagued
00:02:57 Stephens, the lawyer,
00:03:01 undeniable evidence that these ruins
00:03:06 or the Phoenicians or the Lost Tribes
00:03:13 And here at Chichen Itza he thinks
00:03:20 Writing unlike that of
00:03:25 The same writing he'd seen at other
00:03:34 Proof of an ancient empire
00:03:38 more sophisticated than anyone
00:03:49 Stephens himself was a product of
00:03:54 He was born in 1805, the son of
00:04:02 The city wasn't much more than
00:04:05 but it was the hub of a new nation.
00:04:08 Stephens grew up
00:04:11 watching the ships come in
00:04:17 After reading law,
00:04:24 Soon he got into politics,
00:04:26 campaigning vigorously for
00:04:31 But months of shouting to the crowds
00:04:38 His doctor prescribed a common remedy
00:04:43 a grand tour of Europe.
00:04:48 The ancient ruins of Italy and Greece
00:04:54 Stephens went on to Egypt,
00:04:57 and spent three months
00:05:00 visiting the temples and monuments
00:05:09 Only a decade before a Frenchman
00:05:13 revealing the rich history
00:05:22 Stephens was fascinated,
00:05:30 He'd seen pictures of
00:05:34 lost for century to all
00:05:43 Everyone told him the journey was too
00:05:50 so Stephens disguised himself
00:05:55 and took the name Abul Hassis.
00:06:02 In 1836, John Lloyd Stephens
00:06:05 was the first American to set eyes
00:06:12 In Roman times it had been one of
00:06:19 Stephens still found it dazzling:
00:06:23 "A temple delicate and limpid,
00:06:25 carved like a cameo
00:06:30 the first view
00:06:32 must produce an effect
00:06:38 Stephens letters home
00:06:41 they were published
00:06:46 Soon, he was writing books recounting
00:06:53 The lawyer had become
00:06:58 He was a seasoned observer,
00:07:01 In fact, Herman Melville
00:07:07 when he was in church,
00:07:11 He heard that Stephens
00:07:14 And when Stephens left,
00:07:17 "I thought this man must have great
00:07:22 he was such a good observer,"
00:07:30 Back in New York the life
00:07:34 no longer held any charm for Stephens.
00:07:37 Instead, his mind was filled with
00:07:41 not so far away, but even more
00:07:50 On his way home through London,
00:07:51 he met an artist named
00:07:54 who'd spent ten
00:07:57 They shared their interest
00:08:01 Sensing a kindred spirit, Catherwood
00:08:05 about a lost city in Central America
00:08:10 The book's authors thought
00:08:13 had been built by Egyptians,
00:08:15 Carthaginians, maybe even
00:08:20 Anyone but the Native Americans.
00:08:23 There was sort of a racism in here
00:08:26 everything great had come
00:08:30 through the European tradition.
00:08:32 And anything different
00:08:36 to be a bunch of naked savages
00:08:41 In 1839, no one believed
00:08:45 capable of building
00:08:51 Stephens' own government
00:08:55 Only a year earlier
00:08:59 sending them westward
00:09:08 The thought of a great ancient
00:09:11 seemed even more preposterous.
00:09:15 A few travelers had reported
00:09:19 but Stephens could find
00:09:26 It was a travel writer's dream,
00:09:31 he would have to bring back
00:09:36 But who better to accompany him
00:09:39 now practicing architecture
00:09:50 Only one small problem remained,
00:09:53 the newly formed
00:09:56 was fighting a bitter civil war.
00:09:59 Using his political connections,
00:10:01 Stephens secured a post
00:10:07 He figured his diplomatic coat would
00:10:24 So in October 1839,
00:10:27 Catherwood bid farewell to
00:10:31 and now they were here,
00:10:42 The ruins of Copan was
00:10:46 But when they found
00:10:49 no one there had ever head
00:10:54 Finally, a knowledgeable Indian
00:11:03 But that was hours ago.
00:11:06 Now they were beginning to think that
00:11:18 When suddenly, there they were,
00:11:24 the Ruins of Copan.
00:11:45 Pyramids rose majestically
00:11:50 Great stone faces peered at them
00:11:55 twice the size of a man.
00:12:02 Stephens noticed hieroglyphs
00:12:05 to be as fine
00:12:09 yet his experience told him
00:12:17 The silence of the once
00:12:23 Copan lay before us like a shattered
00:12:28 her masts gone, her crew perished,
00:12:35 I think the description of Copan
00:12:37 is the single most poetic description
00:12:42 for it is though he is walking
00:12:47 and he's looking at the shipwreck
00:12:52 He walks from monument to monument.
00:12:55 It is through he's looking into
00:12:58 who have recently been
00:13:03 America, say historians,
00:13:07 But savages never reared
00:13:11 savages never carved these stones,
00:13:15 architecture, sculpture and painting,
00:13:21 had flourished
00:13:24 and yet none knew that
00:13:27 or could tell of
00:13:31 He's the first who is
00:13:33 Look at these stone figures;
00:13:35 these must be portraits of
00:13:38 And he uses the word queen
00:13:41 in seeing men and women in the
00:13:46 all the men and women that Stephens
00:13:50 by 20th century archeologists to
00:13:56 Stephens has this kind of Yankee
00:14:00 The best part of many of
00:14:03 they prove to be absolutely true.
00:14:09 Yet Stephens was deeply puzzled
00:14:13 Who could have built
00:14:18 The local Indians didn't seem to know.
00:14:22 Stephens needed their help
00:14:25 but the owner of the land interfered.
00:14:32 Finally, it seemed that the only
00:14:36 So the lawyer put on
00:14:39 and went to the village to negotiate.
00:14:43 You are perhaps curious to know
00:14:47 I paid $50 for Copan.
00:14:49 There was never any difficulty
00:14:53 I offered that sum, for which
00:14:57 If I had offered more,
00:14:59 he would probably have considered me
00:15:07 Ownership settled, the team set about
00:15:11 measuring and mapping its buildings.
00:15:18 Catherwood is a remarkable
00:15:21 I wish we knew more about him.
00:15:23 One gains some sense of the
00:15:26 just from the written word.
00:15:28 The Catherwood personality
00:15:31 Stephens treats him very formally,
00:15:39 At first Mr. Catherwood found it
00:15:44 Their tropical luxuriance defied
00:15:51 Stephens mentions coming upon him
00:15:54 Catherwood is standing in front of
00:15:57 It is a statute of one of the Copan
00:16:02 Catherwood's standing there almost
00:16:07 which represents the output so far
00:16:09 that day of unsuccessful attempts
00:16:16 Fortunately, Catherwood had
00:16:20 with a prism inside which allowed him
00:16:27 To please the perfectionist
00:16:30 every detail had to be correct.
00:16:48 With the coming of Spring,
00:16:50 the search for the next great goal,
00:16:56 The territory to the north,
00:16:58 through the Sierra Madras Mountains,
00:17:14 As one local said, the road to
00:17:22 Snakes and clouds of mosquitoes
00:17:30 To Stephens the worst part was
00:17:32 the local custom of carry a visitor up
00:17:37 strapped to the back of an Indian.
00:17:40 I rose and fell with every breath,
00:17:46 and his knees seemed giving way.
00:17:49 The slightest irregular movement on my
00:17:53 I would have given him a release
00:17:55 for the rest of the journey
00:18:21 On and on they traveled.
00:18:31 It took more than a month
00:18:35 that had first inspired their journey.
00:18:46 Palenque seemed to hang on
00:18:51 It's graceful buildings dominating
00:18:58 Wherever we moved,
00:19:03 their skills in arts,
00:19:07 In the midst of desolation and ruin,
00:19:12 cleared away the gloomy forest
00:19:14 and fancied every building perfect,
00:19:24 Palenque's architecture
00:19:29 but Stephens noticed many similarities,
00:19:36 Examining it carefully,
00:19:43 There is room for the belief that
00:19:47 was once occupied by the same race,
00:19:51 or at least having the same
00:20:00 The Indians Stephens met
00:20:04 and were as mystified
00:20:08 Yet, intuitively, Stephens seemed
00:20:16 Stephens, I think, is the first person
00:20:20 between the Indians that he sees
00:20:27 Whereas other people want to say,
00:20:31 these miserable Indians,
00:20:34 We must look for some
00:20:37 to where these things
00:20:39 He believes that here
00:20:42 And that, I think, is one of the most
00:20:51 At night, Stephens and Catherwood
00:20:55 they called The Palace.
00:20:59 The rainy season had begun,
00:21:03 venomous during the day,
00:21:09 Catherwood was already
00:21:15 but somehow they kept on working,
00:21:21 for 22 days and sleepless nights,
00:21:39 Exhausted, they pushed on,
00:21:45 but Catherwood was too ill
00:21:51 Vowing to return,
00:21:56 In 10 months the two explorers
00:22:02 They had rediscovered an ancient
00:22:06 than anyone had ever dreamed.
00:22:08 Now they were ready to
00:22:16 Stephens's books was incredible popular
00:22:22 Incidents of Travel
00:22:24 Chiapas, and Yucatan.
00:22:25 Harper and Brothers had printed up
00:22:29 and it sold out pretty quickly.
00:22:34 Stephens writes a real page-turner.
00:22:36 It is such a personal view,
00:22:40 and it becomes one of the great
00:22:44 It goes through dozens of editions.
00:22:47 And there is an enormous American
00:22:50 desire to know more about
00:22:55 They were lionized
00:22:57 They were quite the thing
00:22:59 It was reviewed everywhere.
00:23:03 Just an amazing publication epic,
00:23:07 so the trip was a success
00:23:17 Seventeen month after they'd left Mexico,
00:23:19 Stephens and Catherwood
00:23:22 exploring the city of Uxmal.
00:23:28 On this second journey,
00:23:30 they concentrated their efforts
00:23:36 Inching their way through the jungle,
00:23:40 entirely unknown, with names
00:23:48 Stephens felt they were
00:23:50 Everywhere they went, they found
00:23:58 Catherwood even learned how to sketch
00:24:06 At Uxmal, the artist drew the face of
00:24:11 Years later, it was destroyed.
00:24:15 Catherwood's illustration is
00:24:20 They performed the greatest service,
00:24:22 perhaps, in freezing in time
00:24:26 and images of a land that
00:24:35 They're romantic pictures,
00:24:37 yet at the same time
00:24:42 Many of Catherwood's renderings,
00:24:46 and Magna and other sites
00:24:50 that we have of what Mayan people
00:24:55 We had no earlier record.
00:25:01 In the town of Balankanche,
00:25:03 the explorers visited
00:25:08 Catherwood was so inspired,
00:25:10 he began his memorable sketch
00:25:14 It was the wildest setting
00:25:17 men struggling up a huge ladder
00:25:22 strapped to back and head,
00:25:24 their sweating bodies glistening
00:25:32 One of the last places they explored
00:25:43 Its architecture moved them more than
00:25:52 Most exciting of all was the revelation
00:25:57 to Copan and Palenque hundred
00:26:03 It was the first time in Yucatan
00:26:05 that we had found hieroglyphics
00:26:08 which beyond all question
00:26:10 with those at Copan and Palenque.
00:26:12 If one but could read it.
00:26:20 Finally, Stephens felt he had the
00:26:26 The mysterious writing was unique,
00:26:34 Now he could convince the skeptics
00:26:37 that the ruined cities had been built
00:26:42 These ruins are different than the
00:26:46 Of a new order, they stand alone.
00:26:58 In the nine months
00:27:01 Stephens and Catherwood managed
00:27:08 And gather some treasures for
00:27:15 But they paid a heavy price
00:27:19 Malaria would haunt both men
00:27:27 John Lloyd Stephens would fight
00:27:32 before succumbing to it in 1852.
00:27:39 Frederick Catherwood
00:27:42 a few years later in a shipwreck.
00:27:48 This is the only image we have of him.
00:27:56 For there was another sad chapter
00:27:59 The fate of the great exhibition
00:28:06 This fire started one night
00:28:11 and literally overnight it wiped out
00:28:16 The drawings,
00:28:20 the limestone carvings they had
00:28:25 Thank goodness for the books.
00:28:27 And I thank the Fates everyday
00:28:29 that somebody at Harper and Brothers
00:28:33 had the foresight to heavily
00:28:36 because what a shame
00:28:43 Fortunately, before he died,
00:28:45 Catherwood issued exquisite folios
00:28:50 They inspired generations of
00:28:53 to the land of the Maya.
00:28:59 But Stephens' insights would have
00:29:05 His greatest intuition-that
00:29:09 of their lives on the monuments-
00:29:15 The legions of archeologists
00:29:17 who came after him were able
00:29:21 but only those that spoke of numbers,
00:29:33 Carried away by the discovery that the
00:29:37 archeologists fashioned a picture
00:29:40 obsessed with calendars and time.
00:29:50 When John Lloyd Stephens
00:29:53 he had seen real kings and queens.
00:29:59 One hundred years later,
00:30:00 archeologists saw only the calculations
00:30:11 It would take a fresh set of eyes
00:30:15 carvings and prove that
00:30:24 The story of Tatiana Proskouriakoff
00:30:27 outside the realm of Maya studies.
00:30:32 Yet, in that field she is a giant,
00:30:34 a woman in a man's world
00:30:37 and deeper than her
00:30:45 What we know of
00:30:48 the exciting revelations emerging
00:30:52 is built on her work.
00:30:57 Speaking of Copan, she was the first
00:31:03 She was the one who supplied
00:31:11 Tatiana, or Tanya,
00:31:14 was born in Tomsk,
00:31:20 Her mother, the daughter of
00:31:24 Her father, a chemist.
00:31:32 World War I shattered
00:31:38 In 1915, Tanya's father was sent
00:31:42 to supervise arms manufacturing
00:31:47 With the coming of
00:31:49 the family was trapped and began
00:31:57 At work on the first biography
00:32:00 Char Solomon has been uncovering
00:32:06 Tanya's story is compelling to me
00:32:08 because she was born in Russia
00:32:11 She came to the United States.
00:32:15 She acquired English
00:32:19 and mastered it in such a way that it
00:32:22 became the equivalent of
00:32:26 She chose a profession
00:32:31 when many women did not
00:32:38 Tanya majored in architecture
00:32:42 one of the only women to do so
00:32:50 It was 1930, the height of
00:32:57 Tanya spent several dispiriting years
00:33:00 then settled for a job making drawings
00:33:07 The search for good subjects led her
00:33:11 at the University of Pennsylvania.
00:33:17 Tanya's skillful drawings attracted
00:33:21 an archeologist looking for
00:33:24 deep in the jungles of Guatemala.
00:33:28 The ruined City of Peidras Negras
00:33:32 from her close-knit Russian family,
00:33:34 but Tanya was ready for an adventure.
00:33:46 The small party set off for Guatemala
00:33:57 On their way,
00:34:00 the graceful ruined city
00:34:02 the explorers Stephens
00:34:09 Tanya was equally entranced.
00:34:13 She, in older years, said that
00:34:17 when she first saw the elegant
00:34:21 she knew she had found her vocation,
00:34:24 that there would never be anything else
00:34:33 Tanya's pencil responded easily
00:34:42 The young Russian American had felt
00:34:51 But settling in the Peidras Negras
00:34:56 Tanya had to learn how to survey
00:35:04 As an outsider, as a woman
00:35:07 and trying to find a way into it,
00:35:14 allowed to sit there
00:35:17 and make observations
00:35:20 I think she had to pay for
00:35:26 I think, was someone who was able to
00:35:36 In Mayan archeology in the 1932s,
00:35:39 'the boys' were
00:35:43 This was a group of people
00:35:47 people from mostly Ivy League,
00:35:53 They were all great friends.
00:35:56 They were all, as most archeologists
00:35:59 people of independent means.
00:36:01 They could do what
00:36:06 Even in the bush these silver-spoon
00:36:13 At Peidras Negras,
00:36:16 beginning with cocktails.
00:36:23 Somewhere around 5 o'clock
00:36:26 and they would dress elegantly.
00:36:30 Tanya had a white dress,
00:36:33 that she packed along with her.
00:36:35 She would slough through the mud
00:36:40 and then sort of tuck the muddy bottom
00:36:45 so that no one would notice.
00:36:51 There was a little bit of challenging
00:36:56 He had suggested that
00:37:00 did not have a staircase
00:37:02 and she felt strong that
00:37:05 there would have been
00:37:08 So he said, well,
00:37:12 there was a staircase there,
00:37:13 then you have to dig and find me
00:37:16 And to her delight,
00:37:21 Tanya began to sketch reconstructions
00:37:25 based on the archeological data.
00:37:30 Her drawings were so impressive,
00:37:32 they earned her a sketching tour
00:37:38 Her first stop was Copan.
00:37:45 Noted Mayanist Ian Graham shared
00:37:50 at Harvard's Peabody Museum.
00:37:53 He remembers her tails of Copan
00:37:57 Anyway, she landed,
00:38:09 There were some fairly
00:38:12 One was an amazing man
00:38:18 Gustav Stromsvik,
00:38:22 who worked for the
00:38:25 fell deeply in love with her.
00:38:27 And Tanya had a period
00:38:31 what this relationship
00:38:34 Stromsvik was
00:38:39 He was very outgoing.
00:38:40 He was a raconteur, and she loved
00:38:45 she loved to laugh.
00:38:47 So she was drawn to him.
00:38:48 But on the other hand, Stromsvik had
00:39:01 Particularly on Saturday nights,
00:39:09 Tanya seemed to handle it
00:39:11 It's amazing.
00:39:12 She led such a protective life
00:39:16 and in her suburban life
00:39:21 But she had grit.
00:39:30 Tanya's next stop was Chichen Itza,
00:39:33 center of the Mayan world
00:39:39 The ancient city
00:39:42 as archeologists from
00:39:45 pieced it back together.
00:39:49 Half of rebuilding has gone
00:39:53 Welcoming the throngs
00:39:56 who would serve
00:39:58 for more than 20 years,
00:40:02 known for his oversized straw hats
00:40:13 At Chichen Itza,
00:40:14 he lived in grand style
00:40:21 Every evening a Chinese cook
00:40:25 and his band of archeologists.
00:40:31 Envious colleagues referred to them
00:40:39 On special evenings Morley
00:40:42 of the Maya ball court for a concert,
00:40:46 amplified by the court's
00:40:54 Tanya would join the others
00:40:57 to conjure the spirits
00:41:04 For to the Carnegie Club, the Maya
00:41:10 unlike any other people
00:41:16 These ancient wise men
00:41:20 Instead, they had spent their time
00:41:24 and a system of writing used
00:41:33 The author of this view of the Maya
00:41:38 an acerbic Englishman
00:41:40 for nearly 50 years.
00:41:44 No one, not even Morely
00:41:50 As Thompson began to
00:41:52 no one had the strength
00:41:54 Morely was the one who tried.
00:41:56 In Morely's early works
00:41:59 He is overwhelmed by Thompson's
00:42:04 This makes it very difficult
00:42:07 and particularly when one can imagine
00:42:11 is probably generally preceded
00:42:16 Thompson may have been able to cow
00:42:20 but he hadn't bargained
00:42:26 My general sense of her is absolutely
00:42:32 well, it looks like rain,
00:42:35 ah, there's not a drop of
00:42:37 She was the kind of person
00:42:40 Oh, it's too warm in here,
00:42:41 she would immediately go turn up
00:42:44 and make it a little warmer.
00:42:46 She just had a kind of
00:42:49 I think that helped her also then say,
00:42:53 well, if you say the Maya are peaceful,
00:42:55 let's look at them
00:42:59 Bit by bit, Tanya began to ask
00:43:04 She also started to study
00:43:07 convinced that they had something
00:43:14 When she was in highlands Chiapas,
00:43:16 she took some lessons learning
00:43:21 that the Maya work with.
00:43:23 At the same time, the same young woman
00:43:27 This is something a lot of people
00:43:31 she did study Yucatex Maya.
00:43:40 Tanya's intuition that the living Maya
00:43:45 to the past was borne out by
00:43:55 An American filmmaker named
00:44:00 to show him one of their secret place.
00:44:03 The Indian lead Healy to Bonampak,
00:44:14 Peering into a building,
00:44:17 looking back at him from the walls.
00:44:28 Armies were locked in a furious battle.
00:44:33 Other scenes showed prisoners of war
00:44:41 Try as Thompson might, it was
00:44:47 that these depicted a peaceful Maya,
00:44:56 we see one of the greatest
00:44:58 ever created in the history
00:45:04 Proskouriakoff had not been allowed
00:45:06 to write a single interpretive word
00:45:10 but I've always wondered if it did not
00:45:13 in shaping how she looked at
00:45:19 Sir Eric Thompson effectively
00:45:23 preventing other Mayanists from
00:45:24 pursuing the bloody implications
00:45:30 Nevertheless, the flaws
00:45:33 in his vision of the peaceful Maya.
00:45:41 A few years later, another piece of
00:45:48 In a bookstore in Mexico,
00:45:52 by a Russian named Yuri Knorozov.
00:45:56 Always interested in things Russian,
00:45:59 she avidly read his new theory
00:46:03 Eventually, it would prove the key
00:46:10 But for years Sir Eric Thompson
00:46:13 as Communist propaganda.
00:46:21 In the late 1950s, Carnegie closed down
00:46:26 a victim of new priorities.
00:46:30 But Tanya was kept on as a research
00:46:32 associate with an office
00:46:40 Her days in the field were over,
00:46:46 In her little apartment in Cambridge,
00:46:51 When reading through Tanya's diaries,
00:46:57 she made a very conscious decision
00:47:04 She began working much more
00:47:10 In her mind Tanya had returned
00:47:16 the site of her first experience
00:47:22 Puzzling over the monuments,
00:47:24 she noticed a peculiar pattern
00:47:29 Over and over, the same glyphs
00:47:34 and on each of the monuments none
00:47:44 Suddenly to Tanya the evidence
00:47:48 the monuments were marking the stages
00:47:55 Where others had seen
00:47:58 Tanya Proskouriakoff saw the lives
00:48:06 It was a conclusion that cut
00:48:10 Sir Eric Thompson believed.
00:48:13 Tanya marshaled her facts,
00:48:15 then showed Thompson her article
00:48:19 And when she talked with him
00:48:23 he disagreed strongly with
00:48:28 When he took the article home
00:48:32 he came back the next day and said,
00:48:34 I believe you're right
00:48:36 from someone who was considered
00:48:42 And from that time on,
00:48:46 you knew that it didn't deal with
00:48:49 it deal with human beings,
00:48:51 In one sense, everything
00:48:53 and in the interpretation
00:48:55 has been a footnote to what Tanya did.
00:48:57 She did the general breakthrough.
00:48:59 When she and Yuri Knorozov in Russia
00:49:02 came up with through
00:49:06 We went on a roll.
00:49:15 Once the code breakers went to work,
00:49:17 a more human image of the Maya
00:49:21 Written in the monuments
00:49:27 their ancestors,
00:49:35 Across the centuries the Maya
00:49:39 kings and queens,
00:49:45 full of the voices of the people
00:49:52 Things were changing at
00:49:55 We can read about, I would guess,
00:49:57 75 or 80 percent of the inscriptions
00:50:02 Given that in 1960 we could barely
00:50:11 David Stuart began deciphering Maya
00:50:17 Tanya Proskouriakoff is
00:50:22 He met her shortly before she died,
00:50:24 when she was continuing her careful
00:50:30 In 1998, Stewart took her ashes
00:50:36 for burial at a sight high
00:50:40 We didn't realize how poignant
00:50:44 Most of us were students
00:50:47 in our 30s at the oldest.
00:50:51 And it sort of dawned
00:50:55 was the remains of this great lioness,
00:50:57 The Guatemalans who were
00:51:02 because this was the woman who had
00:51:17 At the end of his pioneering journey
00:51:22 the explorer, John Lloyd Stephens
00:51:24 had been the first to state
00:51:27 One thing I believe, that its history
00:51:35 More than 100 years later, we finally
00:51:46 At Palenque, Copan, Chichen Itza,
00:51:58 the ancient Maya now speak for themselves.