In Central America, scientists have made some recent discoveries about the ancient Maya people. These findings show that the Maya developed their civilization centuries earlier than experts thought. While Europe was still in the midst of the Dark Ages, these Maya had charted the heavens, evolved the only true writing system native to the Americas and were masters of mathematics and calendar. Without advantage of metal tools, beasts of burden or even the wheel, they were able to construct vast cities. Their legacy in stone, which has survived in an impressive fashion at places, lives on as do the seven million descendants (后嗣) of the classic Maya civilization.

Scientists have made some recent discoveries about the ancient Maya people. Experts call the time between the year 250 and the year 1900 the Classic Maya Period. It was a period of great civilization. Until now, scientists think that earlier Maya people were simple farmers. The discoveries show that they used writing, drew pictures and built complex structures. Three separate teams made the discoveries in the rainforest of Guatemala (危地马拉).

Scientists have found some things they say are more than 2000 years old. For example, a team found two masks inside the main pyramid in a city. These masks are three meters tall. They are cut in the image of a sun god. The Maya used the pyramid as a temple. The masks may have been a part of ceremonies led by a king.

At Waka, scientists found the burial place of a woman they think was a Maya queen. They believe she ruled more than 1,200 years ago. Her bones were lying on a stone table. Many jewels surrounded her remains. The team also found pieces of green stone that appeared to be the remains of the kind of war helmet worn by rulers. Scientists say the discovery will help them understand how Maya women shared power with men. Not many burial places of important royal women have been found. Also in northern Guatemala, scientists found a stone showing an 8th-century king playing a game of ball with visiting rulers. It is the third such stone found at the city of Cancuen. They also found large pieces of stone with writing and pictures of leaders. A Guatemalan expert called it one of the greatest masterpieces of Maya art ever discovered in Guatemala.

In 1858, two men wanted to be elected United States Senator from Illinois. One was Stephen Douglas. The other was Abraham Lincoln. Douglas was already the Senator, but his term in office was up. Lincoln had once been a U.S. Representative but was then a lawyer in Illinois.

The men agreed to have seven public meetings, or debates, in seven different cities in Illinois. That way, voters all over the state would have a chance to hear what each man stood for.

The first debate was in Ottawa on August 21, 1858. The main thing the men disagreed on was slavery. Douglas believed that as new states joined the union, they should decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to be a slave state or a free state. Lincoln believed that slavery should not spread beyond the states that already had slaves. He said the United States could not survive as half-slave and half-free states.

The debates drew large crowds in all seven cities. People in the entire country were paying attention. Lincoln lost the Senate race. The debates did, however, make him well known everywhere.

In 1860, it was time to elect a new President. Lincoln won the Republican party’s nomination(提名). Douglas won the Democratic party’s nomination. The two men again faced each other to get the people’s votes. This time Lincoln won. He became the nation’s 16th President.

The slavery issue was still causing bad feelings between slave and non-slave states. By the time Lincoln took over as President on March 4, 1861, seven states had left the union. A month later, the Civil War began.

The Inca Empire was the most powerful of the day, ruling western South America between 1400 and 1533. And the Inca leaders sometimes needed vacations! That’s why the Inca built Machu Picchu in what’s now Peru. All that’s left today are ruins, but about 500 years ago, it was a bustling royal residence. Peek into the past to discover the secrets of this awesome spot.

The royal family lived mostly in the mountainous capital city, Cusco. But during the winter, they could move down to the warmer Machu Picchu. Emperor Pachacuti Inc a Yupanqui likely ordered construction of it around 1450. There, the royals could feast and entertain guests. The other 750 residents served the rulers and maintained the city.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, so Inca builders designed Machu Picchu to resist these shakes. They cut the stones to fit together, and they didn’t use any material, like cement, to bind them. This way, when the ground shook, the stones could bounce around and then settle back into place.

The Inca didn’t have a written language and instead used knotted cords called quipu (KEE-poo) to send messages and keep records. Experts think the style of the knot and the color of the string contained information. Researchers are now using computers to try to untangle these long-lost codes.