World News for Students of English

07-05-2021 07:00

Archaeologists found handprints in a cave in Mexico. The cave was near a famous tourist destination, Chichen Itza.

Many black and red handprints covered the walls of the cave, and archaeologists believed that they were a part of a Maya ritual. Children made the handprints more than 1,200 years ago.

The black color symbolized death and in the ritual, it meant the end. The red color symbolized war or a person’s life in society. Archaeologists said that the ritual happened when a child became an adult.

The handprints come from the time when the Maya culture was strong and rich. Millions of Mayas still live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

Difficult words: destination (a place where someone travels to), ritual (a special activity when people usually dance, drink, and sing because they celebrate something), symbolize (to represent something).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.