Temple discovery propels Mayan flying machine model

An engineer has built a flying machine based on a ancient Mayan discovery, which will be on display at Aratoi until February 3.

Colin Parker, of Lower Hutt, unveiled the machine which will show alongside Featherston artist Tania Williams' exhibition Maya 2012: Portals of Infinity.

Mr Parker said the machine was based on a discovery within an ancient Mayan temple.

He was browsing through a National Geographic magazine when he came across an article about the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque, Mexico.

Archaeologists discovered a sarcophagus in the temple which Mr Parker believes was left as a time capsule for when the human race could understand the technology described.

Inscriptions on the lid described an electronic technology which Mr Parker has partly deciphered to build the machine.

Mr Parker said the article stirred his interest in the Mayan culture and was the inspiration for the design.

"It's amazing how it all came together from an engineer's perspective."

He said the machine would be about 4m high if built on a life-size scale, but he did not have the capacity to do so himself.