Mary Lou Ridinger facts for kids

Mary Lou Ridinger, born in 1945 in Fort Worth, Texas, is an American archaeologist. An archaeologist is a scientist who studies human history. They do this by digging up old sites and artifacts.

Mary Lou studied at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of the Americas. After her studies, she lived in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She worked on many archaeological digs there. This included digging before Mexico City's subway system was built.

Mary Lou is famous for finding ancient jade quarries in Guatemala. These were places where people dug for jade long ago. They had been lost since the time of the Spanish Conquest of the Americas.

Finding Ancient Jade in Guatemala

Mary Lou Ridinger is widely known for finding the exact spots where ancient Maya people got their jade. These places are called in-situ quarries. However, the first discovery of jade in its natural spot was made earlier. Robert E. Leslie found it in 1952 in the Motagua River valley.

In 1975, Mary Lou and her husband, Jay Ridinger, found three new places where jade was found. These were also in the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. They also found tools there. These tools showed that ancient Maya artists had worked with the jade right at these sites.

In the years that followed, the Ridingers found new kinds of jade. In 1987, they found a dark jade with shiny bits inside. They called it "Galactic Jade." Then, in 1998, they discovered a beautiful lavender-colored jade.

Starting a Jade Business in Guatemala

Today, making jade crafts and jewelry is a big industry in Guatemala. In 1975, Mary Lou and Jay Ridinger opened Jades S.A. This was the first modern jade workshop in the Western Hemisphere. They started teaching people how to carve this very hard stone.

Mary Lou is recognized as the person who started the modern jade business in Guatemala. Groups like The Explorers Club and Marquis Who's Who recognize her work. Famous people like Bill Clinton and Robert Redford have visited her business. It is located in Antigua Guatemala.

Jades S.A. is often visited by important people from other countries and local officials. It also has a large museum. This museum shows the history of how the Maya and Olmec people used jade in Central America.

Public Recognition for Mary Lou Ridinger

Mary Lou Ridinger's work has been featured in many places. She appeared in National Geographic magazine in 1987. The Discovery Channel also featured her in a show called "The Mystery of Jade" in 1999.

Her story, along with her late husband Jay Ridinger's, was told in a book. The book is called Stone of Kings and was written by Gerard Helferich in 2012.

Helping to Protect Ancient Sites

In 2008, Mary Lou Ridinger helped stop a highway project. This project would have gone through parts of the Izapa archaeological site. After this success, she and her sister, Georgeann Johnson, started The Maya Conservancy.

This non-profit organization works to protect ancient Maya sites. It also helps save Maya cultural heritage. They provide guidance and help to governments and private groups in Central America and Mexico. Important Maya scholars are part of its board.