Hidden 500-Year-Old Relics Unearthed by Two Adventurous Spelunkers in Remote Mexican Cave—What Secrets Do They Hold?
Imagine stumbling into a cave that’s been off-limits for 500 years, only to find… not just dust bunnies or bat guano, but a curious stash of ancient treasures. Yep, that’s exactly what happened in Mexico’s Tlayócoc Cave when spelunker Katiya Pavlova and her guide Adrián took a break from their trek and uncovered 14 artifacts that whisper secrets from the mysterious Tlacotepehua people. These weren’t just any trinkets—they’re believed to have played a starring role in fertility rituals some 500 years ago, featuring perforated snail shells, stone discs, and bracelets wrapped snugly around stalagmites, like nature’s very own jewelry stand. Makes you wonder—did ancient Mexicans have a better sense of cave décor than we give them credit for? Dive into the fascinating world where history, mystery, and a touch of ancient bling collide. LEARN MORE
Believed to have been used in fertility rituals by the Tlacotepehua people sometime during the Postclassic Period that spanned 950 to 1520 C.E., these artifacts included perforated snail shells, stone disks, and a collection of bracelets that had been wrapped around the cave’s stalagmites centuries ago, just “like a ring on a finger.”
Miguel Pérez/National Institute of Anthropology and HistoryArchaeologists believe that the objects date from the Postclassic Period (950 to 1521 C.E.).
In 2023, a spelunker and her guide set out to explore a Mexican cave that’s believed to have gone untouched for 500 years. Deep inside this subterranean expanse, they eventually came across a number of objects that initially appeared to be trash — but were actually centuries-old artifacts from the little-understood Tlacotepehua culture.
These 14 objects, including three engraved shell bracelets, are a fascinating collection of rare relics, made all the more interesting due to the fact that archaeologists believe they may have been left inside the cave on purpose as part of a fertility ritual hundreds of years ago.
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