Antonio del Río facts for kids

Antonio del Río (born around 1745, died around 1789) was a Spanish captain. He is famous for leading the very first official dig at the ancient Mayan city of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. This important expedition happened in 1787.

Discovering Ancient Palenque

Antonio del Río was sent by Charles III of Spain, who was the king at the time. The king wanted to know more about the amazing ruins that local people had reported finding. These ruins belonged to the ancient Maya civilization, a powerful group of people who lived in Mesoamerica long ago.

The First Expedition

In 1787, Captain del Río and his team arrived at Palenque. They spent two weeks carefully digging and clearing away plants and earth to uncover the old buildings. After that, they spent three more weeks studying everything they had found.

A talented artist named Ricardo Almendáriz joined the expedition. He drew detailed pictures of the ruins. These drawings are still very helpful today for scientists and historians who study the Maya.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio del Río para niños