NATURE|Vol 437|6 October 2005 NEWS

Q marks the spot as ancient sculptures yield their origins

Archaeologists have pinpointed the location of He came across a trench dug by looters years a long-sought Maya city in . The before, and there discovered an elaborately discovery could bolster scientists’ battle carved stone block still in its original against local ranchers, who have been moving setting. The carvings on the stone matched into the surrounding national park claiming those of the Site Q sculptures and thus prove the land as their own. that is Site Q, says Canuto. For several decades, Maya experts have Hieroglyphs on the panel date it to the year puzzled over some 30 enigmatic sculptures AD677 and describe key rulers, religious dates — most of them carved and other events. The panel stone blocks — that came to “The carvings on the also describes how La Corona light around the world but stone match those of was a key ally of the city of seemed to have originally ; the Maya world at come from the same place. the Site Q sculptures the time was ruled by two No one knew where the site and thus prove that cities, Calakmul and , was. Archaeologists dubbed it La Corona is Site Q.” which were fierce enemies. ‘Site Q’, the Q standing for the Unlike the well-known Spanish ‘qué’, meaning ‘what?’ or ‘which?’. monuments at Tikal, the recordings of Calak- Last week, a team of archaeologists mul’s history have mostly eroded away, says announced that they had found Site Q. It was, Canuto. “If La Corona was a faithful ally, this they said, the ancient city known as La Corona discovery will add a lot of information about in the Petén region of northern Guatemala. Calakmul’s history,” he adds. La Corona came to the attention of archae- Meanwhile, David Freidel, another team ologists in 1997, when member and an anthropologist at the Southern researchers and Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, is work- visited and documented the ruins. They found ing with Guatemalan researchers and conser- sculptures that resembled the Site Q monu- vation agencies on another aspect of the find. ments. “I’ve always been convinced that La They are trying to get the area designated as an Corona is the place,” says Stuart, now at the archaeological park that should be protected. University of Texas at Austin. La Corona lies in a national park that is meant The latest finding may convince everyone to be kept pristine. But ranchers threaten the else. In April, a small team briefly visited La sites more each year, says Freidel. During some Corona under the direction of Marcello seasons, the fires they set to clear land can Canuto, an archaeologist at Yale University in come within a few kilometres of Maya sites.■ New Haven, Connecticut. Canuto found the Alexandra Witze Site Q connection by chance, while trying to

R. MCNAB, WILDLIFE CONSERV. SOC. CONSERV. WILDLIFE MCNAB, R. escape the jungle’s relentless mosquitoes.

Hieroglyphs on a stone panel (left) found at La Corona describe key features of Mayan history.

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