“Secrets of the Ancients: Mysterious Human Remains Discovered in Yucatán’s Hidden Mayan Palace”
The find was announced by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History on December 24.
Lead archaeologist Alfredo Barrera Rubio believes the palace was used during two eras of the Mayan civilization — the late classical period between 600 and 900 A.D. and the terminal classical between 850 and 1050 A.D. But there’s still much left to uncover.
“We know very little about the architectural characteristics of this region, the north-east of Yucatán,” he said. “So one of our main objectives, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural heritage, is the study of the architecture of Kulubá. This is just the start of the work.”
“We are only just uncovering one of the largest structures on the site.”
Experts are currently hoping that forensic analysis of the unearthed human remains will yield data that could contextualize these discoveries even further. They hope to determine the sex, age, pathologies, and dietary habits of Kulubá’s Mayan inhabitants.
Meanwhile, the researchers will look to learn more about the structure itself. For now, experts are confident that this palace was used by both priests and government officials during the two aforementioned eras. And they’ve made at least one fascinating conclusion: The building was made to resemble a giant snake.
“In its time, the finishes of this temple would have given the impression of being snake scales,” she said. “This is known because the stone reliefs that the property has in its accesses, resemble the jaws of a ‘monster of the earth.’”
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