Antonio del Río
Encyclopedia
Antonio del Río was a captain who led the first excavation of the Mayan
ruins of Palenque
in Chiapas, Mexico. The expedition was undertaken in 1787 for Charles III of Spain
, following reports of the ruins from native inhabitants. It took the team two weeks to dig, and it then spent three weeks studying the site. He was accompanied by Ricardo Almendáriz
who created drawings of the ruins still considered scientifically useful.
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
ruins of Palenque
Palenque
Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD...
in Chiapas, Mexico. The expedition was undertaken in 1787 for Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, following reports of the ruins from native inhabitants. It took the team two weeks to dig, and it then spent three weeks studying the site. He was accompanied by Ricardo Almendáriz
Ricardo Almendáriz
Ricardo Almendáriz was a Guatemalan draftsman who accompanied Antonio del Río to the first excavation of pre-Columbian Maya ruins at Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. Undertaken in May and June of 1787, the expedition was performed under orders from Charles III of Spain to investigate reports about...
who created drawings of the ruins still considered scientifically useful.