Honduras Troops to Guard Ancient Artifacts
The President of Honduras has sent troops to guard a newly discovered lost city deep in the jungle because there are worries that drug dealers and looters may steal the ancient artifacts of this unknown civilization.
When the ancient city was discovered, the team that found it in the Mosquitia rainforest was torn between whether they should take the artifacts away to keep them safe because the risk of looting is very high.
Ultimately, the archaeologists decided against taking the artifacts to the capital, Tegucigalpa, taking the chance that they would be forever gone if looters steal them.
Some of the fascinating artifacts found by the archeologists included items like a jaguar stone sculpture, ornately decorated stone bowls having handles shaped like birds and snakes, as well as a series of plazas, earthworks and pyramids.
Lead US archeologist Chris Fisher, said that the artefact’s scientific value would be ruined if they were taken away stating that it is better to study them in their natural surroundings so they can be figured out based on where they were found amongst the ancient pyramid and plazas in the lost city.
It isn’t known what peoples lived in the lost city, but it is believed to be about 600 years old. Some think that the people who lived there could be the same as those who created the White City, which was spoken about in fables and is also called the City of the Monkey God. That city has been sought for a long time by many people, but has never been found.
Due to the worry about looters, the archeologists who found the lost city have not told anyone where it is located even though the discovery was announced in National Geographic magazine and was met with an excited public.
The Mosquitia is a jungle area that has little or no people living there, but unfortunately, it is very popular location for drug smugglers who are transporting drugs between South America and the US, such as cocaine. Besides looters or drug dealers, it is also feared that nearby cattle ranchers could damage the area by clearing the forest around it.
Therefore, President Juan Orlando ordered the army to send troops to guard the site. They were sent by helicopter to the area, but it is not known how much this action will help to protect the lost city and its priceless artifacts.
Some report that the army has failed in the past to fight the drug cartels in the area, and that there could be some senior officials that are being corrupted by the drug lords. So far, the Honduran president has reported that the lost city site is considered to be secure, but a permanent solution still needs to be found to ensure its permanent safety.
