LOL-TÚN
WILDLIFE
CULTURE
Where archaeology meets paleontology
What to do if you find Exceptional masks baby sea turtles at Casa de Montejo
Meaning “flower stone” in Yucatec-Maya, Lol-Tún is a cave and archaeological site in Yucatán’s south. It is often considered part of the “Puuc touristic route,” despite not truly fitting this moniker architecturally. Archaeological and paleontological discoveries suggest that the human occupation of Lol-Tún goes back more than 10,000 years. Within the cave, researchers have discovered the bones of mammoths, bison, large cats, and deer — some dating as early as the Pleistocene, millions of years ago.
Baby sea turtles are extremely cute, so the desire to want to pick them up (especially when they are in distress) is understandable, but don’t. It is illegal to handle sea turtles without supervision from a licensed specialist. Second, too much contact with humans, especially being fed, can result in aberrations of their instincts and behaviors. If you spot an injured sea turtle or an unmarked nest, contact Yucatán’s turtle protection and conservation office at the state ministry for sustainability: (+52) 999-502-7825.
“Detrás de una máscara,” or “Behind a Mask,” is an extraordinary art exhibit at Casa de Montejo by Oaxacan artists Jacobo Ángeles and his wife María Mendoza. The exhibit has 36 pieces of art representing an imaginative fusion of mesoamerican mythological animals, as well as masks and two large painted canvases. Despite comparisons with Mexico’s famous alebrijes, the creators argue that their inspiration is to be found more in the Mixe-Zapotec culture of Oaxaca than in the work of 20th-century Mexican folk art.
