The actor’s family chose to reveal the news of his passing months after it happened.

The actor’s family chose to reveal the news of his passing months after it happened.

Watch The X22 Report On Video 2 videos found Ep 3421b – [KH] Campaign Is An Illusion,Trump All Eyes On The DNC,Is Something About To Happen? Ep 3421a – Recession Spin Begins, Nothing To Worry About, [CB] Only Has One Move, Down She Goes Click On Picture To See Larger PictureBiden admin moving forward with their failed green new scam, they are now banning plastic forks, spoon etc. Unemployment rate has risen for 4 consecutive months. The Fed is trying reassure everyone that there is no recession, the spin has begun. Time to end the endless. The [DS] is preparing for the DNC, [KH] picked the worst candidate possible, the entire campaign is one gigantic illusion. This psyop is trying to convince people that she is popular, its failing fast. Trump sends a message, all eyes on the DNC Biden might try to crash it and there might be chaos. Last time the DNC was in Chicago was 1968 and Johnson dropped out of the race while riots were ongoing in the streets. Are we about to see chaos in the DNC?   Economy Biden Administration Declares War on Plastic Silverware as Green Obsession Goes Too Far  On July 19, amid global calamities on a scale unseen since World War II, the Biden-Harris administration announced a plan to eliminate the deadly scourge of plastic silverware. “Communities across the United States and around the world are facing a plastic pollution crisis,” a White House statement began. “The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that pollution can occur at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, disproportionately impacting communities with environmental justice concerns, contributing to loss of biodiversity, and exacerbating the impacts of climate change,” the statement read. That report, presented under the title “Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities,” provided the official justification for a government initiative that would, according to the White House statement, “phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com This is concerning: The US unemployment rate has risen for 4 consecutive months, the longest streak since the 2008 Financial Crisis. Over the last 75 years, every time unemployment rose for 4 consecutive months, the US economy entered recession. The jobless rate has surged… pic.twitter.com/7P4Ghkwk3i — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 7, 2024   has surged from 3.8% in March to 4.3% in July, its highest level since October 2021. Meanwhile, the US hires rate declined to 3.4% in July, its lowest level since the 2020 Pandemic and below the pre-pandemic average of 3.8%. The US labor market is contracting. BREAKING: US financial conditions just saw one of their largest drops since the 2008 Financial Crisis. US financial conditions turned restrictive on Monday, falling from their easiest levels in at least 27 years. This came after US corporate investment-grade and high-yield bond… pic.twitter.com/LrPwjGz0Y5 — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 6, 2024   bond yields spiked to their highest level since November 2023. The volatility index, $VIX, was a major contributor to financial conditions tightening. At the same time, the market started pricing a 60% probability of an emergency rate cut within a week. We do not expect an emergency rate cut. Investors have been buying protection against a large selloff as if there is a major crash: The Nations TailDex index, measuring the market’s expectations of an extreme event, spiked to its highest level since the 2020 Pandemic on Monday. The index also estimates the cost of… pic.twitter.com/Zm1toGEinZ — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 7, 2024  protection in the options market against the S&P 500 drop of at least 30%. At the same time. one of the biggest Black Swan funds available to US retail investors, the Cambria Tail Risk ETF, $TAIL, jumped by 4.5%, the most since March 2020. Is the market anticipating a Black Swan event? THE FEDERAL RESERVE MAY HAVE JUST DECIDED THE US ELECTION (The Telegraph) Donald Trump was often accused of putting political pressure on the US Federal Reserve during his time as president and there are many who expect he’ll go further if he wins November’s election. Towards… pic.twitter.com/TR8IT83Ksp — FXHedge (@Fxhedgers) August 7, 2024  Towards the end of his administration, as the Covid pandemic shook the global economy, Trump frequently made it clear he was “not happy with the Fed” because it was “following” when “we should be leading”. He also dropped dark hints about his power to fire Jerome Powell, the boss of the supposedly independent central bank. Full article:   Political/Rights Geopolitical/Police State  HOLY SH!T Governor Tim Walz: NO RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH if the government decides it is misinformation or hateful This man is a dangerous commie pic.twitter.com/hE8xGcRx87 — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 7, 2024 RIGHT ON CUE: Britain’s Crazed Leftists Demand Government Shuts Down X, Prosecutes Elon Musk and Even Compare Platform to Nazi Germany!  leftists are demanding the platform be shut down altogether. Among them is the conspiracy theorist Peter Jukes, who compared X to Nazi Germany.   Times Radio host Calum Macdonald complained there is no policing on the X platform, another word for censorship.     When the left is under pressure, their immediate impulse is to start censoring and persecuting their opponents. Don’t be surprised if we see that happening in Britain over the coming days. source: thegatewaypundit.com "Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court described collusion as "the supreme evil of antitrust."" https://t.co/Y7tMpavdRH pic.twitter.com/yLdwCx4RvQ — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 6, 2024 Excessively Dangerous’: Federal Court Upholds Maryland’s ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban A U.S. appeals court upheld a Maryland law banning assault-style weapons on Tuesday, ruling that the law does not violate the Second Amendment. The Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and several Maryland citizens brought up the case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s “military-style assault weapons” ban, prohibiting the sale and possessions of the AR-15, AK-47 and Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle, among others. The ban has been in place since 2013 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children and six adults in Connecticut. Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) president Brandon Combs said in a statement following the decision that the group plans on taking the suit to the Supreme Court. Five judges dissented from the ruling, and in a dissenting opinion one judge argued the ban did violate the Second Amendment and accused the court’s majority of “cherry-pick[ing]” historical regulation to create a false precedent. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right subject to the whimsical discretion of federal judges,” Circuit Judge Julius Richardson wrote in the dissenting opinion. “Its mandate is absolute and, applied here, unequivocal.” Source: dailycaller.com They’re coming for our guns. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want to ban commonly owned firearms. pic.twitter.com/QC75Cr5pKH — NRA (@NRA) August 7, 2024   War Why is Biden trying to bankrupt our Veterans? Is it because they mostly vote Republican? “Nobody realizes that they are doing this to so many people,” said Vernon Reffitt, who was recently told to repay the $30,000 he got to leave the Army more than 30 years ago. The… — DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) August 7, 2024 All Iranian government offices and banks in Tehran province and the neighboring Alborz province will be closed on Wednesday, the Iranian government announced, citing a 'significant rise in temperature' as the reason. — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 6, 2024 JUST IN – Egypt warns airlines to avoid Iranian airspace tonight. — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 7, 2024   Cyber Attacks False Flags Q “All They Did Was Radicalize Me – Now They Need to Be Afraid!” – Cori Bush Goes on Unhinged Rant Filled with Threats After Losing Her Democrat Primary (VIDEO) Cori Bush goes off on unhinged rant filled with threats after losing her Democrat primary to another far left radical. Rep. Cori Bush, a radical Marxist representing St. Louis City in Congress, lost her primary race on Tuesday night to another far left radical – Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County Prosecutor. Bush was vehemently anti-Israel in her remarks and policies. Bell was endorsed by AIPAC. Cori Bush:  They thing pulling me away from my position as Congresswoman. All you did was take some of the strings off.   Source: thegatewaypundit.com BREAKING: Far-left Rep. Cori Bush (D) is easily defeated in her primary 2 Squad members ousted in 2 months pic.twitter.com/xai1bcr9ib — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 7, 2024 The Squad is dwindling by the day pic.twitter.com/2uDZPxzPgw — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 7, 2024 Kamala Harris Chooses VP with Deep Ties to Communist China: Tim Walz Visited China Over 30 Times, Had a Special Work Visa, Set Up a Student Program to Travel in China, and Even Honeymooned There Senior reporter Paul Sperry from RealClear Investigations recently uncovered a disturbing pattern in Walz’s relationship with China. According to investigative journalist Paul Sperry on X, Walz traveled to China annually from 1996 until at least 2003. His travels were not merely for tourism; he was granted a special work visa by the Chinese government, which raises questions about his loyalties and motivations. During his time in China, he reportedly expressed a deep admiration for the country. His “infatuation” with the regime is further illustrated by his choice to honeymoon in China and his long-standing commitment to fostering student exchanges between American youth and the communist state. DEVELOPING: Kamala VP pick Tim Walz traveled to Communist China every year from 1996 until at least 2003, after receiving special work visa from the Chinese government, and later honeymooned in China, continuing his infatuation with the Communist dictatorship … — Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) August 6, 2024   Source: thegatewaypundit.com This isn’t Iraq. This is Minnesota under Tim Walz as Governor! This is America if they win! TRUMP 2024 IS THE ONLY WAY! pic.twitter.com/z37VsdVTWw — Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) August 6, 2024 All population growth in Minnesota under Walz is from refugees and illegals. https://t.co/756smABpjK — Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 7, 2024 This is Tim Walz’s trusted advisor. He was key in getting Walz to install tampon dispensers in boy’s bathrooms in Minnesota schools. #tampontim pic.twitter.com/dJPUBGsov8 — Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) August 6, 2024 In 2005, Tim Walz abruptly quit the Army National Guard to run for Congress right before his unit was deployed to Iraq. The Guardsman who took his place told @AlphaNewsMN in 2022 that Walz said he would be going on the deployment before leaving them. "He abandoned us." pic.twitter.com/SOb2lk8zTu — Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 6, 2024 HOLY SH*T! Minnesota National Guard Leaders Expose Tim Walz for Stolen Valor, Lying About His Rank, and Quitting When His Unit Was Deployed to Iraq. "As soon as the shots were fired in Iraq, he turned and ran the other way and hung his hat up and quit," said Tom Behrends, a… pic.twitter.com/14zvDeSPRV — I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) August 6, 2024   a retired command sergeant major who replaced Gov. Tim Walz on a deployment to Iraq. When he was a congressman, you know, he bragged that he was a retired command sergeant major: “I’m the highest-ranking person ever in the House,” and, you know, all this lie that he was telling the state of Minnesota came out after 2018. After this was exposed, they said, “Well, he can say that he served as a command sergeant major, but he can’t say he’s a retired one because he’s not.” Just tooting his own horn, hanging on the coattails of people that actually are command sergeant majors, who went through all the process and put all the time in. It’s stolen valor, really, what it is. If he went to Iraq, he’d still be hiding under his desk over there, ’cause that’s just the cowardice that I saw portrayed with him. Tim Walz dodged a combat deployment according to two former Command Sergeants Major fm the MN Guard He retired after getting a warning order for Iraq Deserting his troops since he was THE senior NCO in the unit The polite term for this is Blue FalconLink in next post pic.twitter.com/I9xUpVIb5D — Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) August 6, 2024 “Blue Falcon” is a euphemism that stands for a particularly unflattering term for a person who is not considered trustworthy or reliable. It’s a term that originated in the military and is often used to describe someone who is seen as a snitch or a betrayer of trust. Streamer with Nearly 30 Million Total Followers Melts Down After Getting Harassed by Kamala Harris’ Campaign and Secret Service for Livestream Collaboration: ‘I Don’t Know Anything About Politics… I Don’t Give a F—K’  , popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat revealed shocking claims that Kamala Harris’ campaign and the Secret Service have been persistently harassing him to collaborate on a stream, despite his repeated rejections. Cenat, who has built a massive following of nearly 30 million across various platforms, made it clear that he wants to steer clear of political involvement. The incident comes on the heels of a viral livestream featuring President Donald Trump and streamer Adin Ross, which broke records with over 100 million views.   Source: thegatewaypundit.com Kamala-Walz caught buying social engagements. Kamala is a fake “nominee” with a fake personality, fake support, and fake momentum. https://t.co/1xFdvApivv — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 6, 2024   “Over a series of three posts, we’re inviting you to share what you admire about the Biden-Harris Administration, what initiatives support, or simply why you believe Kamala Harris, with Biden’s endorsement, is the best candidate for the job.” From now on, when you see any influencers irrationally supporting Kamala, just know they were paid. This is why we shouldn’t bother trying to debate people like that Harry kid, they are being paid to lie “Social media users are being PAID to post pro-Harris-Walz content on Instagram.” – Democrat influencer gets paid up to $10,000 per video by a dark money advocacy group to read pre-written scripts in her social media videos The donors to the group are anonymous Kamala is a manufactured candidate pic.twitter.com/0Epn8pFxSO — johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) August 7, 2024   The enthusiasm for Kamala Harris is a media-fabricated psyop. Their own articles from the past prove it. pic.twitter.com/THu9jO0ybI — Patri0tsareinContr0l (@Patri0tContr0l) August 7, 2024 Barely a month between these two articles. It’s genuinely comical how fake this entire media-fueled “enthusiasm” for Kamala is. pic.twitter.com/qxNSWX1TE1 — Patri0tsareinContr0l (@Patri0tContr0l) August 7, 2024   Kamala is quite literally a communist. She wants not merely equal opportunity, but equal outcomes. https://t.co/XIS8HSbLbC — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2024   DAY 17: Kamala hasn't done a single interview or a single press conference since she forced Biden off the ticket. pic.twitter.com/IcrVLgVudR — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 7, 2024 Trump Wins New York Jewish Vote 43% of Jews have an unfavorable opinion of Kamala The latest Siena College poll is in and it shows Trump beating Kamala among Jews in the state by 50-49. Notably, 43% of Jews have an unfavorable opinion of Kamala. 42% have an unfavorable view of Schumer. Source: frontpage.com Wait! Why would Wikipedia alter the biography of Kamala Harris's father? pic.twitter.com/yuvpbOrQaE — Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) August 6, 2024        Trump is pushing the [DS], remember we are in an information war. The DNC was held in Chicago in 1968, Lyndon B Johnson decided to drop out, there were riots outside of the convention because of the Vietnam war.  Kamala always knew that Biden couldn’t function as the resident, will this information come out, will this disqualify her ? Will Biden create the chaos in the DNC. Is Trump letting us know that they might swap out candidates at the DNC, will there be chaos 3869 Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: c0e5f6 No.8166443 Feb 17 2020 17:11:14 (EST) EMfJo6SVAAEfQdA.png https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1229510910739279873 Purpose: [D]s install numerous rules and regs re: [D] party nomination winner? Define ‘superdelegates’. How do you control the outcome? Why is the outcome important? When [GS] calls who races to answer? [ILLUSION OF DEMOCRACY] Q Something to consider – DNC rules allow it to pick the replacement should the “nominee” drop out. An early nomination means the theoretical eventual “nominee” – the Biden replacement – can be featured at their convention. There’s a strategy to the acceleration. https://t.co/F8CL4e4z23 pic.twitter.com/IXK2rbLMEA — Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) July 18, 2024 Biden, Not Harris, Announces Major Sitdown Interview With CBS President Joe Biden is sitting down for a major interview with CBS News before Vice President Kamala Harris, who has not done any media appearances since launching her presidential campaign. The White House announced Wednesday that the president filmed an interview with Bob Costa for CBS Sunday Morning and it is set to air on Aug. 11. It will be Biden’s first sitdown interview since dropping out of the presidential race. Source: dailycaller.com CRITICAL THINKING:– I don't think many are comprehending the implications of this interview. – A paradigm shift of free speech will likely take place depending on the direction of the conversation. – If Trump calls out the continued censorship of his supporters on… pic.twitter.com/WUM0UhzS73 — THE PARZIVAL (@The1Parzival) August 7, 2024   BREAKING: Pakistani National with Iranian Ties Charged with Murder-for-Hire in Foiled Assassination Plot Against President Trump A federal complaint unsealed  in Brooklyn has charged Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” a 46-year-old Pakistani national, with murder-for-hire in connection with a foiled assassination plot targeting a politician or U.S. government officials on American soil. The plot was thwarted by law enforcement before any attack could be executed. Merchant is currently in federal custody in New York, according to the press release. FBI investigators believe that the intended targets of the plot included Trump and other current and former U.S. government officials, according to a U.S. official briefed on the matter, per CNN. According to court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil. In approximately April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme. Merchant arranged to pay $5,000 in cash as an advance for the assassination services and successfully delivered this payment on June 21. Following this transaction, he made plans to leave the country on July 12, 2024, one day before Trump’s assassination attempt. However, law enforcement intervened and arrested him before he could depart. Source: thegatewaypundit.com   /1NEW LAWSUIT TO STOP ILLEGAL ALIEN VOTING We just sued Maricopa County, AZ for refusing to remove illegal aliens from their voter rolls ahead of the election. Maricopa officials are blatantly defying a state law mandate to purge ineligible voters from the rolls—so we SUED: pic.twitter.com/T4KqapmegF — America First Legal (@America1stLegal) August 7, 2024   BREAKING: A judge in Arizona just ruled that portions of the Democrat Secretary of State's election procedure manual for the 2024 election are UNCONSTITUTIONAL for silencing election integrity activists who sound the alarm on fraud According to the judge, certain provisions in… pic.twitter.com/fgiv1s3egR — George (@BehizyTweets) August 7, 2024  the manual are “troubling” and blatantly violate the 1st Amendment “The Court is unprepared to find that Defendants are correct in their position that the footnote complies with Arizona law under any interpretation of the facts or legal argument.” – Judge Jennifer Ryan Touhill The lawsuit was brought forth against Secretary of the Cartels Adrian Fontes by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, and it’s not the only lawsuit challenging his unconstitutional manual BREAKING: The Georgia State Election Board has voted to accept a new rule requiring counties to preserve voting machine memory cards which contain ballot images, audit logs, etc This came after they discovered that 1.7 million ballot images were missing from the 2020 election… pic.twitter.com/jkVCCeElrY — George (@BehizyTweets) August 7, 2024  Garland Favaorito of @VoterGa presented his findings and the proposed rule. He gave the board no choice but to move forward with it despite pushback from the Democrat member who tried to argue it would cost too much money This is yet another great change in Georgia that will go a long way to stop the cheat. If anyone thinks there was fraud in a county, they can now just analyze the original ballot images

by Mac Slavo, SHTF Plan: Iran is expected to attack Israel within the next 48 hours following a major attack by Hezbollah that left two Israeli Defense Forces soldiers injured, top Western diplomats have warned. American news outlet Axios reported that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the United States’ highest-ranking diplomat, told the G7 yesterday that an attack in response to Israel killing Hamas‘ political […]

by Wendell Husebo, Breitbart: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is a radical leftist. Vice President Kamala Harris selected Waltz as her running mate on Tuesday, allying herself with the most far-left choice among those on her short list, as Breitbart News reported. Below are seven things to know about Waltz’s record: A June report from Minnesota’s legislative auditor found […]

from World Alternative Media: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

Hidden for centuries by a thick layer of jungle, ancient Mayan cities are finally being rediscovered thanks to new technologies and the tireless work of archeologists.  Ocomtún is one of the most recent discoveries. It was unearthed in 2023 by the Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc and his team.  This ancient Mayan city in the Yucatan was occupied for centuries, peaking around the year 700. The city was home to as many as 40,000 people at one time.  So, how did this team of archaeologists locate these ancient ruins deep in a nearly impenetrable jungle? They mapped out promising areas by sending billions of laser pulses down from planes, then used those maps as a guide as they fought their way through miles of untouched jungle.   LiDAR imaging is unveiling new cities all over the world. Read on to learn more about ancient Mayan cities and the modern technology that’s making it possible for archeologists to bring these significant historical sites back into the light of day.  An inscribed stone found at Ocomtún. Ivan Šprajc via National Institute of Anthropology and History The Ancient Maya  The Ancient Mayan civilization dominated what is now southern Mexico as well as parts of Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Honduras.  This civilization began over four thousand years ago, rose to prominence around 250 BC, and has endured to the present day. It declined but never really disappeared. Today, dozens of Mayan languages are still spoken by six million people. The first Mayan cities were constructed around 750 BC. By 500 BC, they began to build monumental temples – the step pyramids that are such a fundamental symbol of Mayan culture.  Some of these pyramids are over two hundred feet tall. Stripped back to their gray interiors over the centuries, these pyramids were once covered in stucco and painted with murals in bright colors: red, yellow, blue, and green. A recent estimate tells us that there were around eleven million Mayans at the height of their civilization. But as LiDAR mapping continues to uncover previously undiscovered cities, that number continues to rise.  This vast civilization was one of the most advanced in all of the Americas. They developed a complex writing system and possessed extensive knowledge of both astronomy and architecture. The Mayan civilization was one of the first in the world to develop the concept of zero, and their numeral system made it possible for them to record very large numbers.  Like other empires, Mayan rule in early centuries revolved around the concept that their kings were divinely appointed, with the ability to intercede between humans and the gods. These kings ruled over a vast network of city-states. The Maya were not a single unified people. These city-states often warred amongst each other and competed for power in the region, and kings proved their worth in battle.  Remains of a building at Ocomtún. Ivan Šprajc via National Institute of Anthropology and History As the aristocracy multiplied and consolidated their power, the power of Mayan kings diminished. In later centuries, many city-states were ruled by a council of nobles. Mayan cities usually centered around a few culturally significant structures: pyramid temples, palaces, ballcourts, and buildings designed to observe the stars. The largest cities were home to as many as 120,000 people.  Trade flourished throughout the region. Mayan traders traveled as far as the ancient city of Teotihuacan, located in what is now central Mexico. They produced large quantities of cotton and traded in textiles as well as gold, turquoise, and obsidian. Major cities along the coastline traded in salt.  The Mesoamerican slave trade was also an important part of both Mayan trade networks and the wider Mesoamerican culture.  Commoners captured in battle were traded or used as laborers, while captives of high status were often tortured and killed in religious ceremonies. Major events such as the ascension of a new ruler or the dedication of a new building were marked with human sacrifice.  Dated monuments indicate that the Mayan culture peaked around the eighth century AD. After that, the population began to decline.  In the centuries leading up to the year 1000, dozens of the stone cities that the Mayan people had built and inhabited for generations were abandoned as the population shifted towards the northern Yucatan.  The exact sequence of events that led to this is unknown. Archaeologists believe that this decline can be attributed to a combination of factors, including prolonged drought and foreign invasion, most likely by the Toltecs. Overpopulation and soil depletion may have also played a role.  One of the most interesting things about this new discovery is that Ocomtún appears to have been inhabited for centuries after other cities in the area were abandoned.   The Ocomtún Expedition and LiDAR Technology The prolific archaeologist Ivan Šprajc led this expedition, which was a partnership between the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History. The ruins of Ocomtún are located in the center of the Yucatan peninsula, in a nature preserve called the Balamkú Ecological Conservation Zone. The team of archaeologists who discovered these ruins had to fight their way through sixty kilometers of dense jungle in order to reach the site.  But how did they know where to look to begin with?  Šprajc and his team used LiDAR technology to search for undiscovered ruins hidden beneath centuries of overgrowth.  A lidar view of the city. National Institute of Anthropology and History They begin by scoping out potential sites by using satellite images to search for artificial shapes beneath the greenery, circles and squares and rectangles that might indicate hidden ruins. Then they moved on to LiDAR imaging. The term LiDAR stands for “light detection and ranging.” In order to collect images of potential archeological sites, a plane equipped with LiDAR equipment flies over the area and sends down billions of laser points to create images.  It took three four-hour flights to scan Ocomtún, each one costing thousands of dollars.  LiDAR sensors measure the time it takes for each laser pulse to return and use that information to create a three-dimensional map of the area. The image created with LiDAR technology provides a clear map of the ancient ruins; pyramids and walls are easily visible against the surrounding landscape.  It provides adventurous archeologists like Šprajc with a route through the jungle, though of course the team still has to cut a new path themselves. The ruins were over thirty miles from the nearest road. Wielding chainsaws and macetes, Šprajc and his team worked for two weeks to clear a path through the dense undergrowth.  The Lost City of Ocomtún The name Ocomtún comes from the Mayan word for ‘stone column’. It takes its name from the many stone cylinders that the team found at the site.  Built on high ground surrounded by marshy wetlands, this massive Mayan metropolis covered over 50 hectares of land.  Some of the structures are so large that archeologists estimate hundreds of laborers must have worked for decades to quarry and transport the stone required for construction.  Fragments of stone all around the city indicate a dense suburban area, which tells us that Ocomtún was an important cultural center and trade hub.  While the most significant surviving structures of this site appear to have been constructed between 600 and 900 CE, there is evidence that the site was inhabited beginning in 1000 BC, making this one of the area’s first population centers. Archeologists have found shards of pottery dating from over three thousand years ago. There are also signs that this site was inhabited long after other Mayan cities were abandoned. Šprajc and his team found irregular mounds on top of older structures. These mounds contained figurines characteristic of what Mayans were creating in later centuries, indicating that this site may have still been inhabited as late as the Spanish conquest.  Given that most major cities in this area were abandoned by the year 1000 as Mayan peoples relocated to population centers near permanent sources of fresh water, the occupation of this site for centuries after this population shift would be a major archaeological discovery. Investigation into the details of this possibility is ongoing.  Archeologists are finding more clues as they continue to excavate the site, including a rich abundance of hieroglyphic texts carved into the stone of Ocomtún itself. Continued research is uncovering advanced hydraulic works and complex agricultural systems, giving insight into how these population centers thrived for as long as they did.  Ongoing Research Densely overgrown and relatively dry, the region that Šprajc is exploring was once regarded as a sort of black hole for the Mayan civilization.  The streams in this region dry up every summer, and the water stored beneath the ground is trapped under thick layers of limestone.  Until recently, archaeologists assumed that ancient peoples weren’t able to survive here, much less thrive in the way that the acropolis of Ocomtún evidently did. How they were able to live so long and so well in the region remains a mystery. There are more promising sites in the area yet to be explored, more ancient cities yet to be discovered. With additional funding and permission from the Mexican government, teams of archaeologists will continue to unearth the mysteries of the Maya.The post How scientists rediscovered the ancient city of Ocomtún first appeared on History Defined.

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