Huge burial chamber hid under Mexico town for centuries — until now. See its treasures
.jpg "A tomb sat untouched for 1,500 years beneath a street in Mexico, according to officials.")
City workers in San Juan Ixcaquixtla, Mexico, were recently carrying out routine construction work in the town square when they discovered something strange.
Hidden beneath a city street was a 1,500-year-old tomb that had remained untouched for centuries, according to an Oct. 31 release from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. The burial is the third such discovery in the area since 2003, indicating that the city was constructed atop a sprawling ancient settlement.
Inside the tomb, archaeologists discovered two chambers, each measuring about 13 feet by 7 feet. The chambers appear to be a part of a larger burial complex, archaeologists said.
The chambers held three burials of at least 20 individuals, according to the release. There was also a trove of funerary offerings.
Among the treasures inside the burial, experts said they discovered 150 ceramic vessels, a piece of human bone that had been carved and glazed, ceremonial axes and three “U”-shaped yokes — equipment used to connect animals pulling a cart or wagon together.
Archaeologists said the funerary goods indicate that the tomb likely dates back to the Mixtec-Zapotec culture that existed during the Classic Mesoamerican period, between about 100 A.D. and 650 A.D., and was likely used by a lineage of merchant-warriors.
Experts believe San Juan Ixcaquixtla’s center was constructed atop an area dense with burial mounds, locally known as “teteles,” which is why multiple tombs have been discovered in the city, according to officials.
San Juan Ixcaquixtla is outside of Puebla, about 110 miles southeast of Mexico City.
Google Translate was used to translate a news release and post from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Huge burial chamber hid under Mexico town for centuries — until now. See its treasures."
