NOVA Online | Search for the Lost Cave People

Search for the Lost Cave People (see bottom of page for text navigation links)

Welcome to the companion Web site for the NOVA program "Search for the Lost Cave People," originally broadcast on March 31, 1998. The program follows an international group of archeologists, who ventured into the Chiapas region of Mexico in 1997 to search for the remains of a little known civilization that preceded the Maya. In caves hundreds of feet above the Rio la Venta, and in an ancient complex swallowed by the jungle, the team found astonishing archeological treasures. Here's what you'll find online.

Before and After
Journey back in time to many of Central America's most famous ancient sites pre-excavation and see photographs of ruins concealed by thick jungles and the camouflage of time.
Future Ruins
In this video clip, see how an ancient Zoque site, built approximately 1,000 years ago, might have looked in its heyday and what it could look like if restored to its former glory.
Archeologist Thomas Lee
Read an interview with Thomas Lee, who participated in the 1997 expedition depicted in "Search for the Lost Cave People." Lee tells NOVA about his most thrilling archeological finds at El Tigre, the large ceremonial site discovered by the archeologists on their journey.
Be an archeologist (Hot Science)
You are an archeologist, and your task is to reassemble an ancient, fragmented pot. Put on your khakis, grab your spade, and head for this interactive Shockwave adventure.
NOVA News Minute
Watch a news clip related to NOVA's "Search for the Lost Cave People" program.

NOVA Online is produced for PBS by the WGBH Science Unit