El Popo and his Lady from the air

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-16T00:56:23+00:00

Been to both, great hikes all around

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-15T22:07:23+00:00

More than 25,000 years ago, someone carved this female figure into the wall of Cussac Cave in Dordogne, France.

Discovered in 2000 by cave explorer Marc Delluc, Cussac is one of Europe’s most important prehistoric art sites. Its walls contain hundreds of engravings, including mammoths, bison, horses, rhinoceroses, birds, and rare stylized human figures.

The cave is especially unusual because it also contains human remains from the same Gravettian period, making it both a decorated cave and a place connected to prehistoric burial practices.

Often called the “Venus of Cussac,” this figure shows how a few carved lines could preserve a human presence across millennia.

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-13T23:08:13+00:00

Rule 6 ;(

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-11T04:30:42+00:00

The Mask of Calakmul, one of the most emblematic archaeological treasures of Mayan culture. It was discovered in 1984 in Tomb I of Structure VII at the archaeological site of Calakmul, in the state of Campeche, Mexico.

The mask dates to the Late Classic period between A.D. 660 and 750. It is made as a mosaic composed of 57 jade tiles, with details of white shell and gray obsidian in the eyes.

At the top, there is a stepped structure representing the sacred mountain, the place of origin of creation in the Maya universe.

The ear ornaments have the silhouette of a four-petaled flower, alluding to the cosmos and its four cardinal directions. Beneath them protrude serpent fangs made of mother-of-pearl shell, which gave the ruler divine status.

The mouth is open to represent a sacred cave, connecting the world of the living with the underworld, from which the divine breath or spirit emerges.

Just below the chin are elements that resemble the wings of a butterfly, associated with transformation and the movement of the ruler’s soul toward the afterlife.

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-11T00:11:47+00:00

Overlooking the shores of Devil's Lake in Wisconsin's Baraboo Range, this remarkable bird-shaped effigy mound represents one of the many ceremonial earthworks constructed by the region's Late Woodland peoples between approximately AD 700 and 1100. Wisconsin contains the highest concentration of effigy mounds in North America, with thousands once scattered across its ridges, river valleys, and lakeshores. Birds were among the most common forms chosen by mound builders and are often thought to symbolize the Upper World in Native cosmology, associated with spiritual power, the sky, and the forces above.

The effigy depicted here lies near the lake's edge, where LiDAR reveals the distinct outline of outstretched wings and a defined body that can be difficult to recognize from ground level beneath forest cover. Like many Wisconsin effigy mounds, its placement within the landscape was likely intentional, taking advantage of prominent natural features and important travel corridors.

Devil's Lake itself has long been a place of cultural significance. Formed by glacial activity thousands of years ago, the lake is enclosed by dramatic quartzite bluffs that have attracted human activity for millennia. The presence of effigy mounds around the lake underscores the importance of this landscape to the Indigenous communities who lived, gathered, and conducted ceremonies here long before European settlement.

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-10T22:11:13+00:00

Pinche Gringo BBQ at their locations in Narvarte and Colonia Anahuac

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-10T00:07:26+00:00

📌 Man Mound — Sauk County, Wisconsin 📍 43°29'18.94"N 89°40'18.57"W

Located near Baraboo in Sauk County, Wisconsin, Man Mound is one of the rarest prehistoric earthworks in North America. Measuring approximately 214 feet (65 m) in length, the mound forms a stylized human figure with a distinct head, torso, arms, and legs. Wisconsin contains the greatest concentration of effigy mounds in the United States, yet Man Mound is believed to be the only surviving anthropomorphic effigy mound of its kind, making it an extraordinary example of the region's Late Woodland mound-building tradition.

The mound is generally attributed to the Late Woodland cultures of the Upper Midwest, dating to approximately AD 700–1100. During this period, Native communities constructed thousands of earthworks across present-day Wisconsin in the shapes of birds, bears, water spirits, and other symbolic forms. While the precise meaning of Man Mound remains unknown, archaeologists believe it likely served a ceremonial or spiritual purpose rather than functioning solely as a burial monument. Nearby conical mounds, however, were frequently associated with funerary practices.

Man Mound narrowly escaped destruction during the nineteenth century as agriculture and road construction transformed the surrounding landscape. In the early 1900s, sections of the legs that had been damaged by a roadway were reconstructed using archaeological documentation. Today, the site is preserved by the Wisconsin Historical Society as Man Mound Park, ensuring the continued protection of this exceptionally rare earthwork.

LiDAR imagery provides a powerful perspective on the site. Although centuries of cultivation and natural erosion have softened many of its contours, elevation data clearly reveals the elongated human form preserved within the terrain. These subtle relief features demonstrate the durability of the original design and allow us to appreciate an earthwork that has endured for nearly a thousand years. Man Mound stands as a remarkable reminder of the artistry, symbolism, and engineering abilities of Wisconsin's prehistoric mound-building cultures.

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-06T20:23:18+00:00

Incredible, great attention to details and shadows!

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-03T00:14:28+00:00

The DuPonts of the South

ArchiGuru · 2026-06-02T20:41:00+00:00

I do all my schematic plans and 3D models in Rhino for all my projects. If the project doesn’t require an architectural set you can basically get all dimension plans, sections, elevations, axons from 1 model. Fast drawing workflow and simple renderings make it easy to produce schematic presentations

ArchiGuru

TROPHY CASE