Teen Discovers Lost Mayan City

[Coach]

Phoenix may be in a river valley, but it still needs to source it's water from elsewhere with a huge river system of man-made aquifers. It's a drain on itself and other cities around it. It's a bad spot for a city, especially for one of 5 million people.

The overall point is, as advanced as we are, we still have cities and towns all over the place that make no sense, or were set up with little forethought for what the long term impacts of being there would be. What do we expect from ancient cultures?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Phoenix may be in a river valley, but it still needs to source it's water from elsewhere with a huge river system of man-made aquifers. It's a drain on itself and other cities around it. It's a bad spot for a city, especially for one of 5 million people.

The overall point is, as advanced as we are, we still have cities and towns all over the place that make no sense, or were set up with little forethought for what the long term impacts of being there would be. What do we expect from ancient cultures?

While true, thats because with our advanced technology we can make them artificially viable.

Ever been to Vegas? See all the waterworks and fountains?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

While true, thats because with our advanced technology we can make them artificially viable.

Ever been to Vegas? See all the waterworks and fountains?

Yeah, and in a thousand years, when Vegas is ruins, the people of the future (if there are any) will go "Why the f*** did they build this here?"

See what I'm getting at?

[Regulator75]

^^^ Murica! That's why.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah, and in a thousand years, when Vegas is ruins, the people of the future (if there are any) will go "Why the f*** did they build this here?"

See what I'm getting at?

Dubai laughs at your confused future people.

[JoseCuervo]

As an archaeologist, I thought I would add my two cents. First of all although I don't specialize in Mayan archaeology, many of my friends who do have debunked this all ready, the pyramid the boy seems to have found is actually believed to just be an old once cultivated field. Secondly Phoenix is not in a river valley per say, the Salt River runs through it, but it has a series of canals distributing water thoughout the city, some of which date to 1500 years ago built by the Hohokam people.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Phoenix may be in a river valley, but it still needs to source it's water from elsewhere with a huge river system of man-made aquifers. It's a drain on itself and other cities around it. It's a bad spot for a city, especially for one of 5 million people.

They didn't start as a city of 5 million. The point is, in that geographic area Salt River Valley was very likely the best farmland around with the best access to fresh water.

Las Vegas is quite an unusual case. But cities like that are extremely rare.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah, and in a thousand years, when Vegas is ruins, the people of the future (if there are any) will go "Why the f*** did they build this here?"

See what I'm getting at?

They'll just go to the Las Vegas Wikipedia page on their iEyes.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Itse

They didn't start as a city of 5 million. The point is, in that geographic area Salt River Valley was very likely the best farmland around with the best access to fresh water.

Las Vegas is quite an unusual case. But cities like that are extremely rare.

So the first question is, "Why the f*** did they build that here?"

and the next question would be, "Why the f*** did they stay here?"

Rarity is beside the point. The point is with more knowledge of our surroundings and long-term sustainability, we still built settlements in ridiculous places. So why is it something that an ancient culture wouldn't do?