Date:

Maya burial chamber containing green figurines found at Palenque

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a burial chamber at the Maya city of Palenque.

Palenque, also known as Lakamha in the Itza Language (meaning “Flat-Place-River”) was a Maya city state located in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

- Advertisement -

Much of the history of Palenque has been reconstructed from hieroglyphic inscriptions on the monuments, revealing a sequence of the ruling Palenque Dynasty from the 5th century till the 8th century AD.

Palenque is a medium-sized site, smaller than Tikal, Chichen Itza, or Copán, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings that the Mayas produced.

Image Credit : INAH

Archaeologist from INAH have been conducting restoration works as part of the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones, funded as a government led initiative by the Ministry of Culture.

During excavations of a structure designated CP3, the researchers uncovered a burial chamber containing a skeleton placed in a face-up position and orientated to the north, a typical funerary custom of the high-status inhabitants of Palenque.

- Advertisement -

Several large ceramic bowls were placed in the chamber as offerings, which according to Maya funerary beliefs would nourish the deceased both in life and death.

The remains of a woman and a skull was also found in a secondary burial deposit, in addition to green figurines made from malachite, a green copper carbonate mineral that the Maya believed had important spiritual powers and properties,

INAH

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Megalith “dragon stones” were likely part of an ancient water cult

A new study, published in the journal npj suggests that the mysterious dragon stones found across the highlands of Armenia may relate to water veneration practices of communities over six millennia ago.

Archaeologists investigate sacred Piedra Letra monument

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have conducted a study of Piedra Letra, located on a hill overlooking Huehuetónoc in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Monument linked to Iberian star mythology discovered in Jódar

Archaeologists from the Research Institute for Iberian Archaeology (IAI) at the University of Jaén (UJA) have discovered a monument connected to the sun and other celestial bodies within Iberian mythology.

Project is restoring Costa Rica’s mysterious stone spheres

A joint team of specialists from Costa Rica and Mexico are restoring three stone spheres at the Finca 6 Museum Site in Palmar de Osa.

Inscription sheds light on First Emperor’s quest for immortality

China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, was born in 259 BC in Handan, the capital of Zhao. He was originally named Ying Zheng, or Zhao Zheng, with ‘Zheng’ drawn from Zhengyue, the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Artefacts from Battle of Dubienka unearthed near Uchanie

On July 18th, 1792, Polish forces under General Tadeusz Kościuszko clashed with Russian troops in what became one of the defining engagements of the Polish-Russian War.

Submerged port discovery could lead to Cleopatra’s lost tomb

Archaeologists have discovered a submerged ancient port near the ruins of the Taposiris Magna temple complex west of Alexandria, Egypt.

Archaeologists begin landmark study of Dzhetyasar culture settlements

Archaeologists from the Margulan Institute of Archaeology and the German Institute of Archaeology are conducting the first ever large-scale study of Dzhetyasar culture sites in Kazakhstan.