Unraveling Maya mysteries
This is the sixth in a series of stories about Harvard’s engagement in Latin America. COPÁN, Honduras — “We have to get you there for the ‘magic hour,’ ” said Bill Fash, peering through the spidery crack on the windshield of his old Ford pickup as he drove two visitors to the main Maya ruins in Copán. The enchanted time of day at the majestic UNESCO World Heritage site comes at dusk, when the sun stretches its fingers across the massive Maya monuments and the lush valley floor. Encircled by mountains, the ruins contain an ancient world of buried secrets that members of the Harvard community and residents of Copán have been uncovering for decades. As the long shadows receded into dusk, these primeval secrets seemed to hide once more. But the diligent industry of Fash, his wife and colleague Barbara, Harvard students, and a growing cohort of co-workers has ensured that unraveling the...