Latest news with #Olmec
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Stand for Truth': Gulf of Mexico Map Stirs Controversy in Crowdfunding Bid
What's in a name? How much does changing the name of a body of water really matter? These are the questions that irked U.S.-based cartographer Michael Hermann when President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America.' Hermann and his wife had been traveling throughout Mexico for years, and he became increasingly fascinated by the immense scope of the Gulf's history. While visiting Mexico's Yucatan peninsula several years ago, Hermann — the founder of Purple Lizard Maps — had an ambitious idea. What if he tried to make a 'story map' that visualized 10,000 years of the Gulf's history, from ancient civilizations to modern oil extraction? The idea crystallized when Trump changed the Gulf's name on the first day he returned to the presidency. Hermann didn't like how Trump depicted Mexico only as a place 'filled with gangs and murderers and rapists.' He didn't like Trump changing North America's highest mountain from its Indigenous name (Denali) to Mt. McKinley. Those actions fuel a 'nationalistic narrative' with 'all the overtones of white colonial power,' Hermann told GearJunkie this week. So Hermann launched a Kickstarter to fund his vision for a new map of the Gulf of Mexico. 'Maps tend to shape things like memory and meaning,' Hermann said. 'They can tell stories, and this lets us tell a deeper story about the Gulf.' Trump wasn't content with just issuing an executive order changing the Gulf's name. He has instructed federal agencies to ban or limit the phrase 'Gulf of Mexico.' When the Associated Press (the country's oldest news organization) continued using 'Gulf of Mexico' in its stories, Trump banned AP reporters from the White House. Amid all the rhetoric, however, it became clear to Hermann that few people really understood the uniqueness of the Gulf itself. After all, it's the place where a meteor struck the Earth 66 million years ago, killing all the dinosaurs. It's where ancient civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec developed for thousands of years in the lands that eventually became Mexico. The Gulf was critical to the arrival and expansion of colonial powers from Europe. Then it became crucial to U.S. political power, and finally an international hub for extracting the oil — created from all those dead dinosaurs. His vision for the map includes not only markers, but also brief explanations of history and culture similar to iconic maps from National Geographic. 'People think of the Gulf from the traditional American perspective, like spending a week in Cabo,' Hermann said. 'This will show the whole landscape, from the earth science and cultural side of it, as well as the modern day, with metrics of the oil and gas industry.' It will also be printed. That may sound obvious for a map, but Hermann thinks that printing historically accurate maps is more important than ever. He pointed to the Trump administration, which has begun rewriting web pages of the National Park Service (NPS), one of several federal agencies charged with preserving U.S. history. When Trump's administration updated an NPS page devoted to the Underground Railroad this month, they removed a photo of Harriet Tubman and any mention of the word 'slavery.' Hermann sees the same revisionist history in Trump's name change. 'According to Google Maps' official statement, if you're in Mexico, it says Gulf of Mexico, and if you're in the U.S., it says Gulf of America,' Hermann said. 'So, where is the truth? We're being fed different geographic names based on where we're standing.' Despite the 'political subtext' to his idea, Hermann maintains that his project is still 'just a map.' But not everyone is stoked about it. When Hermann promoted the Kickstarter through the email list for Purple Lizard, which mostly focuses on trail maps and outdoor recreation, it angered some of the company's longtime fans. And when Hermann promoted the campaign on Facebook, he received lots of support — and also quite a bit of vitriol. One person called the project 'an exhibition of pure stupidity,' while another labeled Purple Lizard a 'liberal company that doesn't want to sell' to conservatives. 'It's the Gulf of America now, dips—t,' another user commented. 'Your types aren't wanted in America anymore. 77 million Americans said so. Bye bye, traitor.' For Hermann, the pushback is more interesting than worrisome. 'The idea of this map is threatening to certain people in the population, and I find that fascinating,' he said. 'When we did a map of Shenandoah National Park, we never got pushback about what we were doing. Nobody came at us with obscenities.' Ultimately, Hermann doesn't know if the Kickstarter will get funded. He still has 23 days to go, but only about $12,000 of his $65,000 goal. It's the kind of project that could normally get funded through academic institutions. But with Trump punishing universities that don't agree with him, that option doesn't seem viable, Hermann said. Moreover, Trump's name changes aren't likely to end with the Gulf of Mexico and Denali. In his initial executive order, Trump mentioned the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026 as another opportunity for 'restoring names that honor American greatness.' For Hermann, Trump's insistence on renaming geographies has a 'symbolic power' that 'sets the stage for a distorted truth.' 'Purple Lizard Maps doesn't have the ability to fight for due process, or for international students having their green cards revoked just because they're international students,' Hermann said. 'Making a map is something we can do. For many people, this seems unimportant compared to other things. But we're cartographers. This is what we do.' Early-bird pricing for Purple Lizard's Gulf of Mexico map starts at $29. Trump Opens Pacific Marine Monument to Commercial Fishing, Sparking Conservation Backlash
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Gateway to the underworld' under ancient Mexican pyramid hints at advanced civilization
An often overlooked ancient pyramid in Mexico was found to be filled with pools of a rare element, leading to new theories that the structure may have had a hidden purpose. Mexico 's Temple of Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, in the ancient city of Teotihuacan is believed to have been built between 1,800 and 1,900 years ago. The mysterious structure has been shrouded in conspiracies ranging from being an ancient power plant to being the engine for an extraterrestrial craft. A discovery in 2015 suggested that the ancient civilization at Teotihuacan used the temple to 'look into the supernatural world.' A researcher found 'large quantities' of the rare and toxic liquid mercury hidden in chambers at the end of a 338-foot-long tunnel. Liquid mercury shimmers and has reflective properties similar to water or a mirror. Water was previously seen as a portal to the divine or underworld, connecting the living to supernatural realms. Mexican researcher Sergio Gomez believed the Teotihuacan civilization filled the chamber with pools of mercury to act like a gateway to the underworld for an unknown Mesoamerican ruler. While the discovery took place a decade ago, it recently went viral online as social media users have again been captivated by the mystery. There is another theory about this remarkable discovery at Teotihuacan which connects the liquid mercury and another substance found at the site to advanced technology that was centuries ahead of its time. Along with the pools of liquid mercury, researchers at the site also unearthed large sheets of mica, a shiny silicate mineral which has insulating properties. Although Gomez's team suggested at the time that these two materials were likely part of an elaborate ritual, more recent speculation has suggested that the liquid mercury and mica were actually key pieces of an energy-generating device located inside the structure. To date, archeologists have only found 'rivers' of liquid mercury in one other pyramid-like structure in the world - the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in China - making its use in ancient structures all the more baffling. Meanwhile, scientists have been working to confirm whether Egypt's Great Pyramid Of Giza was actually an ancient power plant after finding signs that the structure was capable of amplifying energy waves from space. Such theories have only gained momentum after researchers found evidence that a vast city could be located underneath the Giza pyramid. To this point, expeditions throughout Mesoamerica had only found much smaller traces of liquid mercury at one Olmec and two Mayan sites. Excavations in the early 1900s uncovered mica around the city of Teotihuacan, with Gomez's team discovering even more lining the chambers of the nearby Pyramid Of The Sun and within the tunnel under the Feathered Serpent Pyramid. Annabeth Headrick, an art history professor at the University Of Denver specializing in Mesoamerican cultures, after the discovery said: 'Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future. 'A lot of ritual objects were made reflective with mica.' What makes this discovery strange is the fact that one of the major sources of mica anywhere near Teotihuacan is in Brazil, roughly 4,600 miles away. Additionally, mercury doesn't exist in nature in its liquid form, meaning the ancient Mesoamericans had to go through an extremely difficult and hazardous process to extract it from a rock called cinnabar - a light red stone made up of solid mercury sulfide. Specifically, they would have needed to heat the stone until the mercury would begin to melt out and then somehow safely transport the highly toxic element to the pyramid tunnel without dying from exposure. Gomez's team argued that the mercury and mica were part of a ritual marking the journey of an unknown Mesoamerican king into the underworld. However, those who believe in the power-plant theory surrounding the Temple Of Quetzalcoatl argue that archeologists have never identified who this ruler of Teotihuacan was and have not found a burial chamber anywhere in the ancient city. The lack of a royal chamber has only fueled speculation that the mica and mercury were components of a mechanical energy device - built over 1,700 years before the first electrical power plant was invented. Ancient astronaut theorists have gained a pop-culture following due to unsupported theories that suggest that many ancient mysteries are evidence of early human contact with extraterrestrials. Some fringe theories, including those made by ancient astronaut proponents, have suggested that liquid mercury's conductive properties may have helped power either an electromagnetic or propulsion device. Other theories claim the mercury pools in the tunnel may have been part of a closed-circuit system to generate electricity or electromagnetic fields when combined with other materials or structures. Since mica is such a good insulator of heat and electricity, those fringe theories have suggested that the mineral was used to channel or contain energy within the pyramid and tunnel. The sheets lining the tunnels and chambers under the pyramid would have created a 'capacitor-like' system, storing or directing energy. However, researchers have not found any evidence to support these theories, other than the unusual presence of both materials being inside the ancient structure.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Gateway to the underworld' beneath ancient Mexican pyramid hints at advanced civilization
An often overlooked ancient pyramid in Mexico was filled with pools of a rare element in its underground chambers, leading to new theories that the structure may have had a shocking hidden purpose. Mexico 's Temple of Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, in the ancient city of Teotihuacan is believed to have been built between 1,800 and 1,900 years ago. The mysterious structure is shrouded in conspiracies ranging from being an ancient power plant to the engine for an extraterrestrial craft. A discovery in 2015 suggested the ancient civilization at Teotihuacan used the temple to 'look into the supernatural world.' Researcher found 'large quantities' of the rare and toxic liquid mercury in hidden chambers at the end of a 338-foot-long tunnel. Liquid mercury shimmers and has reflective properties like water or a mirror. Water was seen as a portal to the divine or underworld, connecting the living to supernatural realms. Mexican researcher Sergio Gómez believed the Teotihuacan civilization filled the chamber with pools of mercury to act like a gateway to the underworld for an unknown Mesoamerican ruler. While the discovery took place a decade ago, it recently went viral online as social media users have again been captivated by the mystery. There is another theory about this remarkable discovery at Teotihuacan, connecting the liquid mercury and another substance found at the site to advanced technology that was centuries ahead of its time. Along with the pools of liquid mercury, researchers at the site also unearthed large sheets of mica, a shiny silicate mineral with insulating properties. Although Gómez's team suggested at the time that these two materials were likely part of an elaborate ritual, more recent speculation has suggested that the liquid mercury and mica were actually key pieces of an energy-generating device inside the structure. To date, archeologists have only found 'rivers' of liquid mercury in one other pyramid-like structure in the world - the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in China - making its use in ancient structures baffling. Meanwhile, scientists have been working to confirm whether Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza was actually an ancient power plant after finding signs that the structure was capable of amplifying energy waves from space. Those theories have only gained more momentum after researchers found evidence that a vast city could be sitting underneath the Giza pyramid. To this point, expeditions throughout Mesoamerica had only found much smaller traces of liquid mercury at one Olmec and two Mayan sites. Excavations in the early 1900s uncovered mica all around the city of Teotihuacan, with Gómez's team discovering even more lining the chambers of the nearby Pyramid of the Sun and within the tunnel under the Feathered Serpent Pyramid. Annabeth Headrick, an art history professor at the University of Denver specializing in Mesoamerican cultures, said after the discovery: 'Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future.' 'A lot of ritual objects were made reflective with mica,' Headrick told The Guardian in 2015. What makes this discovery strange is the fact that one of the major sources of mica anywhere near Teotihuacan sits in Brazil, roughly 4,600 miles away. Additionally, mercury doesn't exist in nature in its liquid form, meaning the ancient Mesoamericans had to use an extremely difficult and hazardous process to extract it from a rock called cinnabar - a light red stone made up of solid mercury sulfide. Specifically, they would have needed to heat this stone until the mercury would begin to melt out and then somehow safely transport the highly toxic element to the pyramid tunnel without dying from exposure. Gómez's team argued that the mercury and mica were part of a ritual marking the journey of an unknown Mesoamerican king into the underworld. However, those who believe in the power-plant theory surrounding the Temple of Quetzalcoatl argue that archeologists have never identified who this ruler of Teotihuacan was and have not found a burial chamber anywhere in the ancient city. The lack of a royal chamber has only fueled speculation that the mica and mercury were components of a mechanical energy device - built over 1,700 years before the first electrical power plant was invented. Ancient astronaut theorists have gained a pop-culture following due to their unsupported theories suggesting that many ancient mysteries are evidence of early human contact with extraterrestrials. Some fringe theories, including those made by ancient astronaut proponents, have suggested that liquid mercury's conductive properties may have helped power either an electromagnetic or propulsion device. Other theories claimed the mercury pools in the tunnel may have been part of a closed-circuit system, generating electricity or electromagnetic fields when combined with other materials or structures. Since mica is such a good insulator of heat and electricity, those fringe theories have suggested that the mineral was used to channel or contain energy within the pyramid and tunnel. The sheets lining the tunnels and chambers under the pyramid would have created a 'capacitor-like' system, storing or directing energy. However, researchers have not found any evidence to support these theories, other than the unusual presence of both materials inside the ancient structure.
New York Times
03-04-2025
- New York Times
Leonardo Patterson, Disgraced Dealer in Latin American Artifacts, Dies at 82
Leonardo Patterson, who rose improbably from rural poverty in Costa Rica to the towering heights of the global antiquities market, despite accusations that he trafficked in fake and stolen artifacts — and who fell precipitously when those accusations proved to be true — died on Feb. 11 in Bautzen, a city in northeastern Germany. He was 82. His death, which had not been previously reported, was confirmed by the authorities in Bautzen. They did not provide an exact location or a cause of death. The market for Latin American antiquities took off in the 1960s, enabled by an almost complete lack of laws preventing the often wholesale looting of pre-Columbian sites. Carvings, headdresses and jewelry that had sat for centuries in forgotten tombs and temples suddenly flooded galleries in New York, London and Paris. Mr. Patterson was uniquely positioned to ride the wave. He said he never learned to read, but what he lacked in book learning he made up for in street smarts. First in Miami and then in New York, he developed a reputation for always having rare, beautiful items, at a time when owning an authentic Olmec stone head was the height of Manhattan chic. 'In the '60s, '70s and '80s, when he was very active, nobody really cared,' Arthur Brand, an art detective who later testified against Mr. Patterson in court, said in an interview. 'Museums, auction houses, everybody looked the other way.' Mr. Patterson's impoverished background only added to his appeal. He claimed to straddle the line between two worlds, as a globe-trotting sophisticate who retained a sturdy foothold in the jungles of Central America, giving him unmatched access and insight into the antiquities trade. He made a fortune. He frequented Studio 54 in bespoke three-piece suits and tooled around Manhattan in a Ferrari. But his allure began to curdle as countries crafted agreements to limit the antiquities trade, and as the reduced supply of real artifacts led to an abundance of fake ones. Mr. Patterson always insisted that his items were real and legal, but many experts did not believe him. 'He aided and abetted a great degree of looting,' Karen Olsen Bruhns, a consultant with the National Foundation of Archaeology of El Salvador, said in an interview. 'He ripped off a number of countries.' In 1984, a grand jury in Boston indicted him for trying to sell a fake Mayan fresco. Not long after receiving a probationary sentence, he was arrested at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and charged with trying to smuggle in more artifacts, along with several dozen endangered sea turtle eggs. This time, he claimed that he hadn't broken the law because the artifacts were fake (and that he needed to eat the eggs for his health). He was once again placed on probation. In 1987, he relocated to Germany, where antiquities laws at the time were much looser and he could reinvent himself once more. He found a small group of wealthy private clients, and soon he was placing items in galleries and exhibitions around Europe. He had a blue, chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, and he sponsored a local professional polo team. His recovery was so absolute that in 1992 he put on a show at the Vatican pavilion at the World Expo in Seville, Spain, during which he met Pope John Paul II. In 1995, Costa Rica named him a cultural attaché to the United Nations. Eventually, though, the authorities caught up with him. In 2004, after years of investigations, German customs officials at Frankfurt Airport seized a shipment of antiquities bound for Mr. Patterson's collection. Two years later, British officials, using information from Mr. Brand, recovered a gold Peruvian headdress from Mr. Patterson. That same year, the Spanish police seized 45 objects from a warehouse he had leased in Santiago de Compostela. Shortly after, he moved the rest of the collection, some 1,000 items, to Germany. Mr. Patterson was arrested several times in the years that followed, though he managed to avoid trial. Finally, in 2015, a court in Munich convicted him of trafficking in fake and illegal artifacts. He received a $40,000 fine and three years of home confinement. Afterward, he largely withdrew from public life, though his story did not end. Investigators believe he hid hundreds of items around France and Germany that have not yet been found. At his death, Mr. Patterson was being sued in Dresden, Germany, by the Mexican government, which was seeking to recover 78 Mesoamerican artifacts it claimed had been looted from ancient jungle sites. Leonardo Augustus Patterson was born on April 15, 1942, in Limon, a town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Little is known about his family history. He said that his father left home when he was very young and that his mother, a farmer, died when he was a teenager. He said he found his first antiquity, a shard of ancient pottery, in a yam field when he was 7. He moved to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, when he was 15. There, he found work with a jeweler, who tasked him with melting down gold rings and necklaces that looters brought in from unprotected archaeological sites. But Mr. Patterson saw further potential. 'I wondered why I should be melting these old things down to make a terrible ring out of them,' he told the German magazine Der Spiegel in 2016. After selling items locally for several years, he moved to Miami, where he imported them for local galleries. A chance encounter with a wealthy collector led to opportunities in New York, where he had moved by the late 1970s. Mr. Patterson kept his family life largely secret. He claimed to have at least 13 children by five different women. A list of survivors was not immediately available. Though few people doubted that Mr. Patterson had committed a long list of crimes, even some of his antagonists admitted that he had an endearing side. They cited his serene personality and his dry wit — a quiet charisma that seemed to undergird his entire career. 'He was a lovable guy,' Mr. Brand said. When he told Mr. Patterson that he was planning to write a book about him, Mr. Brand recalled, Mr. Patterson replied, 'Please, just wait until I'm dead.'
