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No. 91: Jan-Feb 1994

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Did captive christians and moslems build this mayan pyramid?

The cover of the 1993 volume of Epigraphic Society Occasional Papers presents a color photograph of a Mayan stepped pyramid at Comalcalco, Tobasco, Mexico. This pyramid, which is also known as Temple 1, is constructed of fired bricks. The pyramid and bricks are not anomalous, but the graffiti inscribed on thousands of the bricks is, for it is typical of Roman North Africa. Punic, Libyan, and Arabic scripts are represented. Barry Fell suggests that the temple was constructed by Christians and Moslems captured by the Mayans long before Columbus ventured westward into the Atlantic.

(Fell, Barry; Epigraphic Society, Occasional Papers, 22:57 and cover, 1993.)

Comment. Refer to SF#90 for possible evidence of ancient Romans in Texas.

From Science Frontiers #91, JAN-FEB 1994. � 1994-2000 William R. Corliss