Robot archaeologist discovers new chambers under Temple of Quetzalcoatl

[Judi Lynn]

Robot archaeologist discovers new chambers under Temple of Quetzalcoatl
Shane McGlaun, Apr 24th 2013

Archaeology can be both challenging and dangerous. A lot of the archaeological finds take discovers underground, where they are forced to squeeze through very narrow passages that are at times to narrow for a human to crawl through. Archaeologists working in Mexico near the Pyramid of the Sun have begun using a robotic archaeologist to explore caverns and tunnels underneath the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. The caverns are too small for a normal human to explore.



The robot is called Tlaloc II-TC and gets its name from the Aztec god of rain. The robot is 3 feet long and designed to allow to easily pass through tight passageways that are too small for a human. The robotic explorer has a video camera and mechanical arms to help move any obstructions out of the way.



More:
http://www.slashgear.com/robot-archaeologist-discovers-new-chambers-under-temple-of-quetzalcoatl-24279143/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Robot discovers three possible chambers under Mexico's pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan

Friday, April 26, 2013
Robot discovers three possible chambers under Mexico's pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan

MEXICO CITY (AFP).- A small robot has discovered three possible burial chambers under a temple in Mexico's pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan, a find that may reveal secrets about funeral rituals in the ancient site.

The robot, dubbed Tlaloc II-TC, located the chambers in the last section of a 2,000-year-old tunnel tucked under the Temple of the Feathered Snake, surprising archeologists who had expected to find just one room.

The National Anthropology and History Institute said the find could shed light on the burial rituals of the rulers of Teotihuacan, which is some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Mexico City.

The mystery-filled ancient city is known for its majestic pyramids of the sun and the moon, but little is known about the people who inhabited the site. Teotihuacan, whose name means "City of Gods," had long been abandoned when Aztecs arrived in the area in the 1300s.

More:
http://artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=62179#.UXojB-oo7JU

[Judi Lynn]

2. Robot uncovers ancient burial chambers beneath Teotihuacan temple

Robot uncovers ancient burial chambers beneath Teotihuacan temple
2013-04-29 16:36

A small robot has uncovered three 2,000-year-old chambers under an ancient temple in Mexico, archaeologists from the National Anthropology and History Institute has announced.

The robot, named Tlaloc II-TC after Mexico's ancient god of rain, found the chambers under the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (also called the Temple of Quetzalcoatl) in the Mesoamerican ruins of Teotihuacan, which is just 30 miles from Mexico City.

The ancient city, thought to have been established around 100 BC, had more than 100,000 inhabitants at its peak, but had long been abandoned before the Aztecs arrived in the 1300s.

In the 1980s, the remains of over 200 warriors were found in the core of the Temple of the Serpent. Archaeologists found a tunnel under the same temple in 2011 using radar technology.

More:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2013/04/325_134781.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. Hundreds of strange metallic spheres found in ancient Mexican temple

Hundreds of strange metallic spheres found in ancient Mexican temple
By Carl Franzen on April 30, 2013 11:41 am Email @carlfranzen

Hundreds of strange metallic-looking spheres of unknown origin and purpose have been discovered by archaeologists exploring the ruins of an ancient Mesoamerican temple in Mexico, Discovery News reports. The spheres were uncovered by a camera-equipped robotic exploration rover on the floor of two previously sealed underground chambers in the Temple of the Feathered Serpent in the ancient city Teotihuacan, 30 miles away from Mexico City. They are thought to be at least 1,800 years old and are about 1.5 inches to 5 inches in size. Their cores are made up of clay and other unknown organic materials, while their surfaces are covered in pyrite, also known as "fool's gold," giving them a sparkling yellow coating.

The spheres are thought to be offerings of some kind, as the temple was used by priests, but for now, "no one can establish their function because it is an unprecedented discovery," said archaeologist Jorge Zavala in news release translated from Spanish, originally issued by the National Anthropology and History Institute of Mexico, which runs the site. Archaeologists are now performing imaging studies of the spheres, along with other artifacts found in the temple, to better understand what roles they played in ancient Mesoamerican society. Meanwhile, the scientists are hopeful about what they may find even deeper in the temple, potentially even the remains of the city's rulers.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/30/4285858/strange-metal-like-spheres-found-mexico-teotihuacan-temple