Search results for "Maya culture"
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE DOCUMENTATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE MAYA CULTURAL HERITAGE. THE PALACE OF THE GOVERNOR AT UXMAL (YUCATÁN, MEXICO)
2020
[EN] One of the major challenges currently facing the architectural and archaeological heritage in subtropical World Heritage sites is its preventive conservation. Many of these sites are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of natural disasters and climate change. The risk is compounded by the fact that several of them are among the most iconic places in the world, and so they also face the threat of the excessive growth of visitors. What is more, in earlier times many were restored with unsuitable materials or using inappropriate techniques which have heightened the risk they face today. However, thanks to the new digital technologies of architectural documentation involving the use of laser…
Life after death: a physicochemical study of materials used by the ancient Maya in human bone ointments
2021
Ancient Maya believed in life after death. They used to prepare dead bodies during burial ceremonies whose purpose was to celebrate the dead and to help them passing through the way from earthly life to the beyond one. Bodies preparation included coloured scented body ointment application, with a deep symbolic connotation and probably also a conservative purpose. The aim of this research was to characterize pigments and binders used by ancient Maya in the preparation of body oint ments used to paint human bones. Emblematic painted bone samples from Xcambó (Maya archaeological site located in the municipality of Dzemul, in the Mexican state of Yucatán) were investigated through a non-destruc…