What inspired Dr Diane to be an archaeologist?
What or who inspired Dr Diane to be an archaeologist? Why did she want to study the Maya and who keeps her company when she is digging in the rainforest?
All answers can be found on her website – time to do some researching! A Maya Expert badge for the winner!
Answer
I read a lot of adventure books when I was growing up, including the adventure series by Enid Blyton (Sea of Adventure etc.). I also loved watching Indiana Jones films, such as the Raiders of the Lost Ark. These books and films inspired me to become an archaeologist.
I enjoyed history and sciences at school and loved the idea of digging up the past, finding things that no one had touched for thousands of years. I also found it fascinating to work out how people from the past were able to build the most amazing buildings without any of our modern technology.
After studying archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology in London, I spent a year travelling around Central and South America, working on excavations and spending time with the locals and visiting archaeological sites.
None impressed me so much as the Maya site, Palenque in Mexico (where King Pakal was buried). I was fascinated with the pyramids, the art, the writing – all in the middle of the rainforest! I decided then that I must learn more about these amazing people.
Pretty much everything! Living in the rainforest, building some of the largest pyramids in the world, having a ballgame like no other, creating a really interesting writing system and the zero so they also became great mathematicians and astronomers. I also think their art is beautiful and of course, I love chocolate, so I have the Maya to thank for that!
Regarding who and what accompanies her – well her team, but also animals such as spider monkeys and the lovely pizote.
Congratulations for those who got it right!
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