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Machetes and sketchbooks introduced the Maya to the world
In the 1840s, John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood studied Maya civilization with the best technology the 19th century had to offer: compelling words and captivating artwork captured during a jungle expedition.
Local lore says the 90-foot-high Pyramid of the Magician was built in one night by a dwarfish sorcerer. The structure soars over the Maya city of Uxmal, Yucatán, which Stephens and Catherwood visited on both of their journeys.
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