Archaeologist José Huchim has spent half his life delving into the past of the Mayans. Excavation work in the archaeological zones of Yucatán explains the Mayan appreciation for architecture.

Altars, royal rooms, stelae, ancient offerings, retreat areas for warriors, cisterns and canals for water supply: an entire impressive complex has come to light to better understand Mayan way of life and culture. “Here there was a very great advance in stone carving, which we can see in these monuments, a huge boom in architecture,” he says, pointing to the buildings in the area known as El Palomar. The imposing main structure, the Nuns' Quadrangle, was known to the first explorers who arrived in Uxmal in the 19th century. It was not until last December, however, that new sections of the monument were revealed, which could have been the chambers of one of its rulers. The chambers have thrown up more questions than answers.