MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Anthropologists have begun to investigate what they believe are a series of six pyramids constructed centuries ago by Mayan Indians, a Managua newspaper said Wednesday.
The temples were discovered 32 years ago but never excavated.
In recent months, experts have returned to the site, which they now think could be the work of Mayan Indians, the daily Barricada said.
Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico are dotted with Mayan Indian ruins but up to now there has been little evidence of the pre-Colombian civilization's presence in Nicaragua. Several areas of the Central American country were settled by Indians of South American origin.
The temples are the only known pyramids in Nicaragua and could be one of the the most important archaeological finds in the country, Patrick Werner, a U.S. anthropologist, told the newspaper.
The site is located near the village of La Gateada in Chontales Department, 150 miles southeast of Managua.
Barricada published photos of several mounds covered with trees and brush as well as an artist's conception of how the site would look once excavated. The largest of the pyramids appeared to be a 15-foot high, three-storied temple that measures about 60 feet in width.
Werner said that if the site is excavated, archaeologists may also find murals, roads, statues and other Indian relics.
