@@redtobertshateshandles Interesting idea!

Thank you! It is a unique and wonderful place, and the history is incredible

@@ChambersWineandTravel There was indeed metalworking along the pacific coast, likely knowledge brought over from South America, but mostly used for precious metals and arsenical bronze. As for the stone tools, there was a great trade in ilmenite from an early time around Mesoamerica, which is a naturally occurring stone made of iron and titanium(!) oxide which was worked into tools, and significantly tougher than the soft limestone which the Maya carved their buildings out of. Other hard stones were mined in the southern mountains and widely traded, and chisels and other tools made from these stones have been found at various sites. Look up "Maya hardstone" for further examples. www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/317303 www.researchgate.net/publication/317569649_Mineralogical_and_magnetic_characterization_of_Olmec_ilmenite_multi-perforated_artifacts_and_inferences_on_source_provenance

@@user-dt9qc5uv2m I do a lot of research beforehand and I need to film so I almost never go with a guide unless it is mandatory, which is the case at some sites. I think that it can be nice if you don't really know what you're looking at, and all the ones I have gone with were extremely knowledgeable and professional, so I guess you guys lucked out with that one. 😂 Sounds like an awesome trip, what a cool gift!

Thank you! I will have one about Palenque soon too.

@@RobertoAyalaFotografo That was my thought as well

@@RobertoAyalaFotografo I will be careful! My next episode is about Cancún. Unfortunately El Meco was closed when I visited, but I did see El Rey and San Miguelito. I should release it very soon.

@@user-fi9qf6ov3b I found it in a book store in Merida. Paper maps aren't very popular anymore, but they still make them, check it out online.

Are you volunteering to help? I know it's not my strong suite.

@@pyramidreview8664 welp it's supposed to be a funny gen z response tho no hard feelings. Although I'd like to help but editing isn't my strong suite either so sorry for that

@@melodramaticallytropical lol gen z, I knew it! Most of my viewers have been 65+ so far because I have this slow editing style and they tolerate that very well. I am trying to improve my editing and also my filming but I still don't know what I am doing and I am learning as I go. I don't even have a proper camera or computer, and I film this all on my phone and edit it on an old iPad, because I spend all my spare money on traveling to get to these places in the first place. C'est la vie. Please bear with me, it's slowly getting better. 🙏

@@pyramidreview8664 apologies beforehand that I didn't identify myself properly 😅 I know that I'm not the target demographic for this kind of channel but couldn't help myself to comment on it since I find it hard to find any walkthrough videos of pre-columbian cities except for like Chichen Itza and other major tourist sites lol I think my only criticism (which is very subjective) for this particular video as a gen z is the intro and the transition part are very much like those early 2000s Indiana Jones-esque type of historical content with heavy emphasis on ominous bg music and supposedly "scary" shots which I found kinda endearing and yet cringe-inducing in a some type of way that I got a giggle from it. I also was on a Twitter side of thing for so many years so my humour definitely been shaped from that. You may want to search about stan twitter/gen z humour on this site tho if you want a glimpse about how it works. Warning: you might not understand most of it because it usually placed within context of memes and anything that can be identified as "icons" so I'm happy to help if you need some explanations about it. That's why my initial comment might sound strange or rude to you, i swear it's the gen z of me not you lol. Since usually (which means a heavy generalization) gen z contents even for this kind of content isn't relying from this kind of "mysterious jungle and people" trope anymore, instead they usually rely on more like exploration but aesthetic POV or almost like B-roll-esque type of vibe if you ever want to pivot to the younger viewers tho :)) No worries. I appreciate what you've done tho. As an avid history enthusiast (also got a degree from it) especially the Mesoamerican, it's rare to have this kind insight on less popular and "pristine" historical sites so I thank you for that. Just a suggestion tho maybe if you want to upgrade your gears in the future you may need to buy this kind of gimbal camera for vlogging such as the one from DJI or Fujifilm etc for crisp and blur-free footages. Also invest on headlamp if maybe you want to look inside the room in ruins so the viewers can also see it.

@@melodramaticallytropical I really and truly thank you for this thorough explanation and I get it, no worries. Most of my videos are me trying very hard to time my travel so that I am in a remote archeological site completely alone and just walking around with nobody else there. This one was really a once in a life time thing because, well, so it was. TBH it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced and also it was extremely difficult to balance the filming of it and the actual experiencing of it. I had two cameras going, both overheating constantly, sweating more than I ever have in my life, and then taking in the actual experience while also trying to film it... Pfew. Anyway don't worry about it, I can take a joke. But yeah, the mysterious jungle trope sucks, I agree. I made this channel mostly as a protest. The protest is against very exploitative ancient aliens acounts, these guys who say all kinds of things about ancient sites, literally whatever they imagine. My goal was to offer a counter to that which is my real lived experience and research. However I don't try to go out of my way to live up to Indiana Jones tropes, my goal is to try to convey real experience. But as I said, this one was such a weird unique event, it was difficult to explain why it was happening, and difficult to ground it into scientific reality, but I definitely tried my best, not only to explain what was happening but also why I was there. I have different approaches planned for upcoming videos though. Stay tuned. And thank you for the insight!

@@Cisco3Pancho Thank you for enjoying it

Nope

@@JoseLuisGarcia-wl6vo I have had the same thought. It's also impressive how many thing you can do with a simple staircase. Some are very steep and scary like in Tikal, some are very wide and impressive like in Dzibilchaltun and Edzna, some are huge and puzzling like Aké. It's possible to put so much character in such a simple thing in a way that sends a message across time and cultures.

These buildings were built in the late classic era of Maya history, around 800 AD, many centuries before Columbus arrived in the Americas.

😂

@@user-nf7eg5iz8e I have a herniated lumbar disc and was immobile for several years. That's one of the reasons I hike up these mountains now, because I was very close to losing that ability forever and now I want to make up for lost time. It was not very difficult in terms of climbing technical ability, but it was difficult psychologically because of the vertigo. As for vertigo, there's not much to do about it but be brave. As for everything else, I would advise to take your time and go slowly, and also chew coca leaves. They sell them in many places and they help with climbing in those altitudes in terms of blood flow and oxygen levels. All I can say is it's very difficult but not impossible, and you can do it if you try. I did it and so can you. Good luck!

@@pyramidreview8664 Thank you so much for sharing your story. It is inspiring . I was in Huaraz, Peru last year and went there to get a feel of the attitude without hiking a lot. When we went to laguna paron at about 4300 mts, I did experience shortness of breath due to anxiety but I calmed myself down. 6 months ago while getting out of a van at Chimborazo in Ecuador, I couldn't walk because of lack of anxiety plus altitude. The driver got me some alcohol, rubbed it on my palm and asked me to inhale it. It worked, opened my sinuses and calmed me down. As bad as these episodes were, I am still going to the next adventure. The lessons I learned is to firstly not to overeat at higher altitudes. Indigestion causes anxiety. As far as the neck is concerned, I wear a light neck brace. I also avoid carrying a heavy backpack. I travel as lightly as possible. 3 months ago, I was hiking at cajas national park at 4400 mts in Ecuador without a lot of problem. The core again is eat light, practice breathing ie yoga (pranayama + wim hof method), carry light backpack and do not worry about the end of the hike. Take it stone by stone and brick by brick. And most importantly, not everything has to go on Instagram. I see a lot of people do crazy things just to get a good shot.

And remember, if you ever get dizzy or overwhelmed, just put a hand on the ground or on the mountain.

Oh, very interesting. Iwant to go to Huaraz because there is an ancient site near there at Chavin de Huantar. Yes, the Andes are generally very rough if you don’t know what to do, and adjusting your eating patterns and breathing patterns will help for sure. Living at high altitude and spending time adjusting to high altitude (Cusco is 3300 meters) is one thing, but the vertigo is a different story. When you are climbing this hill there is a 500 meter difference between you and the lowest ground level you can see, and in this case you have to depend on bravery and breathing and coca leaves. Honestly, what was most disturbing to me was to see the distant river 500 meter lower, and what helped the most was to just sit still and put my hands on the ground and close my eyes and remember that I am just on a piece of the earth. If you ever feel bad and scared, touch the ground, touch the side of the mountain. It will make your body relax, you will remember that you are just on earth.

oh and if you do it please post here again and tell me about your experiences, I am curious to hear it

@@chepep0nNo shade for INAH! I meant the aluxes. 😂

@@JanetheScot Thank you! That sounds good, I'll check it out.

@@gerrardthomas5607 Very interesting! I'll give it a watch.

I know there is a lot of disagreement about Inca and Pre-Inca sites on KZbin especially. I am working on a video about Pre-Inca sites right now. It will be quite long (more than an hour) and I'm not near finished so I will probably release some more things about the Maya first. It is an interesting topic!

@@Nezferatu Both times I was at Edzna it was one of the hottest sites I've ever been to. Campeche is great though, quite a charming little town.

@@Nezferatu I know enough to know that I am just scratching the surface