A pair of tourists have been caught on camera carving their initials onto an ancient and sacred 1,300-year-old temple in Guatemala.
They were snapped etching "A + T" onto a side wall of the Tikal Temple II pyramid in the ancient city of Tikal, one of the largest archaeological Mayan sites in Mesoamerica.
Ancient Mayan civilisations began building cities with impressive temples and intricate sculptures as far back as 1500 BCE.
World-famous monuments today include sites such as Chichen Itza in the Yucatan and Bonampak on the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
Located in the northern Guatemalan department of Peten inside Guatemala's Tikal National Park, which was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1979, the ancient city of Tikal was founded in 732 AD.
The vandals, whose names and country of origin are unclear, were spotted by Facebook user Vinicio Alba Ruiz who posted about his fury on the site.
Mr Ruiz wrote: "I found them carving on the walls of Temple II. When I asked what they were doing they got upset and seemed offended. If you come to this site you have to respect the rules. They do not need further explanation, it is common sense."
The local added: "We need to recruit more staff to look after our heritage."
The Guatemalan Tourism Industry (INGUAT) put out a public statement on the incident. It demanded that the country's Public Ministry of Culture and Sport, which manages the world heritage monument, holds the tourists accountable for the damage.
The Guatemalan Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage allows for fines of up to around £100,000 for causing damage to ancient sites. Prison sentences of between six and nine years are also possible, according to reports.
It is not known whether the incident is being investigated.
