Imagine a flourishing city in the 7th century - nearly 1400 years ago! Now, imagine what it would look like today.
We had the incredible opportunity to visit Palenque, located in the Chiapa mountains in southern Mexico. Palenque flourished as a Mayan city in the 7th century, then was absorbed into the jungle of cedar, mahogany and sopadilla trees till the 20th century. Since then, it continues to be excavated and restored.
It’s one of the seven wonders of the world! (depending on which Seven Wonders list you read!)
We enjoyed a morning at Chichen Itza - a complex of Mayan Ruins in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula.
This ancient city thrived between 600 AD - 1200 AD.
I wonder what Chicago would look like if we could see it after it had been abandoned for 600 years. During that time, invading groups occasionally pilfer what’s left to build their own structures. Finally, future archeologists attempt a restoration so “modern” people of that day could surmise what life was like back then.