The Le Plongeons were in Yucatán during the years of the Caste War, a conflict between the Maya, called the Chan Santa Cruz, and the army of Yucatán. In 1875, they left Mérida and traveled to Chicen Itza with a military escort, who was assigned to stay with the archeologists while they worked. When out in the field, the Le Plongeons practiced archeology by taking numerous photographs, sketching drawings and maps, making molds of bas-reliefs, and digging excavation tunnels to explore buildings. Their photography equipment consisted of two Scovill Manufacturing Company view cameras with an assortment of lenses. They took a variety of photographs, including 3D stereo images, which were developed in a darkroom set up on site. In addition to the detachment of soldiers, the Le Plongeons hired local Maya men to cut back the vegetation and clear growth from the site. The whole crew faced illness and hunger, heat, insects, and other dangerous wildlife. In addition to exploring the sites of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, Alice and her husband worked around the city of Mérida, and at Mayapan. In 1878 they traveled south to British Honduras before financial difficulties forced them to return to the United States to solicit sponsorship. From 1880 to 1884 the Le Plongeons spent time in Mexico City and continued their work at sites in Yucatán. During this time, they made a few trips back to New York when their finances were strained. Among their sponsors was cigarette manufacturer Pierre Lorillard and Phoebe Hearst. When in New York the couple gave lectures on their work and attempted to sell their bas-relief molds to museums and collectors. By studying the murals and statues at Chicen Itza, Augustus and Alice developed theories about the past Maya rulers and the influence of the Maya. They pieced together a narrative of an ancient Maya ruler named Queen Moo (from the Maya word for macaw) and her brother and consort Prince Coh, sometimes called Prince Chaacmol (named for the Maya words chaac and mol, meaning powerful warrior). Throughout their careers, the Le Plongeons would expand on their theories. Eventually, they came to believe the ancient Maya had helped found ancient Egyptian civilization as well as the lost civilization of Atlantis. In November 1875 the Le Plongeons unearthed a large statue from near the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars at Chicen Itza. The statue was of a reclining man and the Le Plongeons believed it was a representation of Prince Chaacmol.