I LOVED THIS EPISODE!!! Well done! Wow! If Discovery can keep these kinds of episodes on they will have a lifetime viewer. That was intense and interesting. How did the Maya get into that cave without robes and sturdy ladders? How did they convince people to enter into that cave?

I'm intrigued.

Discovery if you read these: does Scotty have a screen name? Can we ask him questions directly?

quote:

Especially without ROBES!.....Sorry, i couldn't resist. I know, i know, grow up.

HA HA!! Well, I guess robes would be essential if it was a chilly January morning!! Note to self: re-read posts before hitting "post now"!

Oh well...

Although my proof-reading needs a bit of work, I do recommend the show. I found it very interesting. Although it is clear a story has been written to fit the need for "entertainment" I still found myself more interested in the Mayan culture then I originally was. Same goes for the other two episodes that I have watched.

I am a professional Maya archaeologist. I have worked in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras. I know every single person shown in "Cave of the Headless Corpse" except for "Scotty," who is not a Maya archaeologist.

For me, this was a blatantly racist show. It is as insulting and degrading to Maya as a Minstrel Show is to African Americans or a Charlie Chan movie is to Chinese Americans. If you care about the rights of indigenous people or about racism in general, you should boycott the Discovery Channel and the products advertised during this show.

All of the racism in the show, which depicts the Maya as nothing more than brutal savages doomed to extinction like animals, was introduced in the voiceovers, the narrated script, and the particularly disturbing and racist "re-enactments."

One of the main people shown in the show is Dr. Jaime Awe, a native Belizean archaeologist and a good friend. He is also the Director of the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History of Belize. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail he has posted about this episode:


Friends and colleagues
A few days ago the Discovery Channel aired a show entitled "The Bone Detective". I don't know how many of you saw it but the show focused on two caves that we have been working on here in Belize. These are Midnight Terror and ATM caves.
Let me simply say that this show was the worst piece of caca I have ever had to suffer through. The shameless editing of much of what we said and the way they cut and pasted our discussions and interpretations was appaling, disgusting and incredibly unprofessional. So much of what Gabe, I and Raffi said was distorted for the simple purpose of making it fit their incredulous story. All to achieve their goal of sensationalism. And when you see the show it appears that Gabe and I were only
here to assit their cowboy archaeologist as he
removed objects from one site to the other.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can assure you that these folks will never ever have another opportunity to film at any of our sites here in Belize. Neither will I ever consider to participate in any show by these people. I truyly hope that this will serve as a warning to all of you and that you be careful when agreeing to participate in any filming with the Discovery folks in the future. As for me, this has been a harsh learning lesson and in the future I will request to have a signed agreement with any film crew requiring that I be given some level of editorial rights before the release of any show. If they refuse then they can go film somewhere else...
Anyway, based on all the comments I've heard, as well as have read on their comments page on the website, at least poor scotty and
the show are taking the blame, as they should. I was just so disappointed. I talked with robert [Yuhas] endlessly about the show in the spring and he took what I suggested and just twisted it all out of shape. I suggested he show how we go about interpreting a new context (midnight terror) by showing the data there, and then comparing it to other similar contexts
which are more indicative sacrifice (ATM) and a
burial plot(Caves Branch). And somehow, from those noble beginnings,they get to that ridiculous conclusion! How sad.

Thanks to all for your time and here's hoping
that this unfortunate even may never be repeated
again.

Warm regards to all,
Jaime

Again, I urge you not to buy any products advertised on this show.

Just like a pompous scientist, trying to get us to agree with his theory JUST BECAUSE HE SAID TO!

Not only do we NOT care what you have to say, neither do we agree with your suppositions, and your own PREJUDICES!

I find it laughable that you would become irate over prejudicial thoughts and then spread your own!

GIVE US A BREAK, Senor Archaelogist!

Daddy Daughter what's the deal with you? You seem to be the only one voraciously defending this contrived tripe dressed up as science and archaeology. I think your an employee or paid by Discovery to drum up hype and deflect critisism. Talk about a pompous, how about you trying to say some television show editor and an over emotive host looking for ratings should be believed over an actual scientist who knows what he's talking about, please, file that in the P.T. Barnum folder (There's a sucker born every minute).

truth - I am a professional archaeologist - for the last 30 plus years. Scotty is "an actual scientist". In fact he works for me. The editors and writers for this program did no one any favors.