The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story

Preston poses the question of who built the ancient city of T1 and suggests that the remains of dozens of people from 2,000 to 3,000 years ago found in the nearby Talgua Caves might be related. These caves are full of skulls and bones “covered with glittering crystals of calcite” (195), as well as ceramic and marble vessels. Archaeologist James Brady found that these people were not Maya, as first assumed.

Preston describes the history of the ancient Maya city of Copán and its dynastic founder, K’inich Yax K’uk’ Mo’, or “Quetzal Macaw.” The city, which lasted from roughly AD 400-800, finally collapsed due to a combination of elite mismanagement, top-heavy social inequality, and drought. Sites in Mosquitia developed during the reign of Copán, but Mosquitia civilization grew substantially after Copán’s collapse. It is possible that Mosquitia-related people from Copán left at the time of its collapse and moved to Mosquitia, bringing some Maya influence with them.

Yet the Maya are well-studied, whereas the Mosquitia civilization has been largely neglected by archaeologists. One reason is because the popular Maya culture is so close by, drawing research away from Mosquitia. Another reason is that the Mosquitia built with wood, adobe, and earth, which do not leave such impressive ruins as the cut stone buildings of the Maya.