The Mayas Up Close conference yesterday brought together almost 200 people who were able to attend an authentic dissection of the life, customs and art of the Mayas. Seven conferences and a round table highlighted the great scientific interest, and among the general public, that this culture awakens and the large number of questions that researchers are still asking themselves; in the words of the archaeologist Cristina Vidal, "the answers are right there, often right in front of our eyes" but they have not yet been deciphered, and that is the great challenge for scientists.
The talks covered the very important role played by Spanish archaeological missions in the Mayan area, the difficulties of working in the hot Mesoamerican jungle and the struggle of local authorities to prevent the plundering and marketing of Mayan artefacts.
Particularly interesting was the narration of the Mayan adventure by historian and writer Miguel Rivera Dorado, who revealed a wealth of anecdotes from his almost twenty years of archaeological expeditions.
In addition to Cristina Vidal and Miguel Rivera, presentations were given by architect Gaspar Muñoz, from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, professors Andrea Peiró and Nuria Matarredona, also from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Alfonso Lacadena and Ana García, from the Complutense University of Madrid, María Luisa Vázquez, from the University of Valencia and Patricia Horcajada from the Autonomous University of Campeche, in Mexico.
