A team of archaeologists in Mexico excavating Mayan ruins near the ancient walled city of Tulum discovered a sealed cave filled with human and animal remains that could be more than 1,000 years old.
The team found a large rock sealing the entrance to the cave, which was located near Quintana Roo on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Once they removed the rock, they discovered the remains of eight people inside, according to a press release from the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The first skeleton found was partially under the rock, with the upper part of the body inside the cave and the legs protruding outward, making it appear that it was immobilized in place.
A team of archaeologists in Mexico excavating Mayan ruins discovered the cave.
The remains, including bones and skulls found in two small chambers, were still well preserved, as the environment inside the cave was conducive to keeping them intact.
In addition to human bones, archaeologists also found remains of dead animals, including dogs, deer, opossums, armadillos, frogs, sea turtles and sharks.
Archaeologists said humans and animals were probably buried together in funerary ceremonies before Europeans arrived in the Americas.
A snail was also found attached to the entrance wall, which was considered an ornament by the Mayans.
The 20-inch-high cavern, which was poorly lit and very narrow, was also filled with insects and pottery shards, which probably dated to between 1200 and 1550.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn