Archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have uncovered a sculpture depicting the face of an elderly man in the ejido of Sierra Papacal, Yucatán.
The sculpture was unearthed within the foundations of an ovoid-shaped enclosure during archaeological salvage excavations for the Mérida–Progreso Railway Bypass, part of the Maya Train project.
Carved from limestone and measuring a height of 45 centimetres, the sculpture has deep eye sockets, a flat nose, and lips separated by a cleft that accentuates the chin.
According to experts from INAH, these features depict the face of an elderly man which was carved during the Preclassic period (2500 BC to AD 200).
The enclosure’s west-facing entrance suggests an intentional alignment with the sun, while the existence of an interior bench indicates that the enclosure was used for ritual gatherings.
“The salvage excavation of the structure has allowed us to observe various construction and occupation stages, which suggest changes in the functioning of the complex, in addition to revealing a long-term development that began in the Preclassic period based on the recovered ceramic material,” said INAH.
“This finding will help to support comparative analyses to provide an approach that helps to understand the use of space and the activities that took place in these architectural complexes.”
The excavation is being led by INAH archaeologists Manuel Pérez Rivas, Susana Echeverría Castillo, Wendy Lorena Pérez Mezquita, and David Alejandro Ferman Valor.
Header Image Credit : INAH
Sources : National Institute of Anthropology and History
