past horizons20 Colouring the An artist's rendition of " Archaeology Under the Canopy" at El Pilar

21past horizons Past at El Pilar continued ? ? Inset: A representation of the Maya ruins at Labna in Yucatan, Mexico, by Frederick Catherwood By Anabel Ford Imagine how Frederick Catherwood and John Lloyd Stephens must have felt upon seeing the vine- wrapped, overgrown, abandoned cities and temples of the ancient Maya in their expeditions of the 1830s and 40s. Discovered only 25 years ago, the unique Maya site of El Pilar on the border of Guatemala and Belize offers that same experience: the monuments are still embraced by the forest, showcasing the Maya foliage as much as the Maya city itself. We call the style of presentation practised at El Pilar ' Archaeology Under the Canopy', where the ancient monuments are protected by the natural habitat that envelops them.