Archaeologists make major discovery... underwater(Belize; paddle find leads to Mayan 'white gold')

Channel5Belize ^ | Thursday, July 07, 2005

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Mr. K]

cool

[gdani]

Belize is a beautiful & wonderful country. I just returned from there a few weeks ago.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[satchmodog9]

And what we found are evidence that while the Maya were either living underwater, because we have underwater sites, or the sea level has risen and submerged them.

This is both grammatically incorrect and factually absurd.

[southernerwithanattitude]

This may be the earliest case of being up a creek without a paddle!

[FreePaul]

...if the sea level were maybe one or two yards lower...
....the Maya were either living underwater, because we have underwater sites, or the sea level has risen and submerged them...

Strange terminology for someone in the scientific field.

[vetvetdoug]

The terminology is consistent with one that should have said, I don't know.

[Howe_D_Dewty]

I agree...I did a short term stint as the interim cleric in Placencia at St Johns Church...It was paradise

[satchmodog9]

I noticed that as well. It also crushes a lot of this global warming crap by implying that there were lower sea levels at one time. I wonder on which side of the global warming debate our PHD resides.

[geopyg]

I guess he just needs to correspond with the guys in the climate branch at his University.

And I think he was trying to make a joke about the Mayan's living underwater. (Although they do have those long reeds down there!)

However - they did find a paddle around where they were looking for the posts for the walls. If it was dry ground at the time, why didn't the guy who dropped it pick it up? I imagine a paddle was a fairly valuable thing. Perhaps it was lost in the muck of an ancient shoreline near the town. Or- perhaps the town was built on pilings over the swamp? (Images of India and the Ganges River come to mind.)

[JohnnyZ]

1. The quotes are spoken rather than written, and as a result less precise.
2. I don't know that English is the first language of all the researchers.
3. The dude said something about trying to mix in more common language in place of scientific jargon.

[bert]

Does Belize have a tropical rainforest?

Bromeliads, orchids, philodendrons.

[FreePaul]

2. I don't know that English is the first language of all the researchers.

Yes, I noticed that it was a group from Louisiana. You're probably correct.

[bert]

....or the sea level has risen and submerged them....

This is not absurd. There is an alternative however, the land sank. The elevation was lowered by plate displacement adding a little negative strike to the whole landscape..

[gdani]

I did a short term stint as the interim cleric in Placencia at St Johns Church...It was paradise

Since I've done Caye Caulker & San Ignacio twice, Placencia is next on my list. I've heard great things.

[gdani]

Does Belize have a tropical rainforest?

I think "rainforest" would be a little generous, although I may be wrong. It definitely has plenty of jungle. Whether any of that is actually rainforest is a question for someone more knowledgable.

I recommend a very helpful website - www.belizeforum.com

[muir_redwoods]

Remember, the scientists are being quoted by reporters. One will never know what was actually said.

[JohnnyZ]

I was thinking more about Jaime Awe, whose speech patterns seem to bear the marks of Spanglish, but your point is valid as well.

Mayan are de DEBBIL!