Augustus Le Plongeon

Augustus Le Plongeon (1825-1908) was an archaeologist who was the first to excavate the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Yucatán, Central America. He wrote a lengthy history of Mayan culture, going so far as to propose a theory that Mayans had founded Ancient Egypt, a theory which has since been discredited by the scientific community.

Travels in Yucatán

In 1873, the Le Plongeons traveled to Yucatán, and remained there almost continuously until 1885 in search of cultural connections between the Maya and Ancient Egypt. They used photography to record what they considered evidence of those connections, but also attempted a thorough photographic record of the sites as a basis for future general research. Their photographic work was methodical and systematic, and they took hundreds of 3-D photos.

Related Topics:
1873 - 1885 - 3-D photos

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They documented entire Maya buildings such as the Governor's Palace at Uxmal in overlapping photos by placing the camera on a tall tripod or scaffold to correct for perspective, and then processed the plates in the dark rooms of Maya buildings. In addition to entire facades of buildings, they also photographed small artifacts, and architectural details such as bas-reliefs, Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions, and sculptures.

Related Topics:
Uxmal - Artifacts - Bas-relief - Maya hieroglyphic - Sculpture

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At Chichen Itza they excavated what they termed a "Chac Mool" from a structure known as the "Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars", and documented their excavation of the Platform of Venus with photos as well as plan and cross-section drawings. They also visited and photographed other Maya sites such as Izamal, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Cancún, and Ake, and traveled to Belize (British Honduras).

Related Topics:
Chichen Itza - Chac Mool - Izamal - Isla Mujeres - Cozumel - Cancún - Belize

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Le Plongeon is also known for his attempted translation of the Troano Codex, a translation which is considered by nearly all authorities to be completely mistaken. He claimed that one section detailed the destruction of the lost continent of Mu, which he intepreted as Atlantis.

Related Topics:
Troano Codex - Mu - Atlantis

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