Ancient Quotes

“tore a piece of the nest away and reached inside, pulling out several termites which he picked out of the nesting material and stuck in his mouth. “This is one of the most-eaten insects on earth,” he said, swallowing. “They’re full of protein and taste like nuts.”
― Bill Thompson, Ancient: A Search for the Lost City of the Mayas

“British Honduras became Belize in 1973, but not before Jack Borland was Governor-General of the colony, the Queen’s own representative to this small country.”
― Bill Thompson, Ancient: A Search for the Lost City of the Mayas

“time was short – the metro system had to be completed so the government was not willing to allow years to do an archaeological dig as it should be done. One thing led to another and, as happens so often, time constraints caused priceless artifacts to be removed from the places they had lain for centuries, ending up in the hands of a collector willing to pay a staggering sum to own them.”
― Bill Thompson, Ancient: A Search for the Lost City of the Mayas

“In 1978 workers building the bus and subway system unearthed a massive disc of stone that led them to a stairway and the huge Temple of Tenochtitlan. Archaeologists from the University of Mexico descended upon the site and made an intelligent decision – they called in colleagues from around the world. This project was far too vast, and Mexico was too poor, to provide the massive resources required to quickly examine the enormous area.”
― Bill Thompson, Ancient: A Search for the Lost City of the Mayas

“In the 1400s, Tenochtitlan was built by the Aztecs. It became the capital of the Aztec Empire and was a vast complex of temples, buildings and homes. In around 1521 Hernan Cortes laid siege to the city. His victory brought down not only the capital but the entire Aztec civilization itself. As the Spanish so often did, Cortes built a cathedral on the site where a major temple once stood, and eventually the entire area became the bustling metropolis of Mexico City, one of the world’s most densely populated cities. The Aztec capital was known to have existed somewhere, but it was largely forgotten.”
― Bill Thompson, Ancient: A Search for the Lost City of the Mayas