Belize archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of the first sovereign of the old Maya City of Caracol, which was a large center of the Basses Mayas during life and life.
The tomb of the king of Cacol, named Te K’ab Chaak (Mayan for “Tree Branch Rain God”) dates back to around 350 AD; He was mounted on the Throne at Caracol in 331.
This is the first time that any identifiable royal fall has been found in Caracol from archaeologists from the University of Houston Diane Chase And Arlen Chase started excavations over 40 years ago, according to a statement Released Thursday July 10.
The tomb of Te K’ab Chaak was one of the three main tombs found in “the northeast acropolis” on the site-a raised complex just outside the city center which was used for royal houses and public ceremonies.
The royal tomb contained pottery ships, sculpted bones, shells, tubular jade pearls and a Mosaic death mask in jade. A pottery ship depicts a Mayan sovereign holding a lance while receiving offerings, while another showed Ek Chuah, the Mayan God of traders, surrounded by offers, according to the press release.
An earlier discovery in 2010 had found artefacts in central Mexico, including obsidian blades, which indicated the influence of the city of the Mexican center of Teotihuacán, which also influenced the last Aztecs.
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But the new tombs in Caracol date at least a generation before that, which implies that they held indigenous Mayan leaders rather than a ruling elite of Teotihuacánsaid the press release.
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Maya City
The remains of Te K’ab Chaak indicate that he was measuring about 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters) in height and had no teeth at his death at an advanced age, according to the press release. The royal dynasty he founded lasted over 460 years.
Caracol was one of the largest and most important cities in the Mayan world, with an estimated population to Over 100,000 people to its peak. But that refused for unknown reasons, With many other Mayan coloniesby AD 900.
Its ruins are now found in the Highland jungle in the Cayo district in the center of Belize, about 53 miles (85 kilometers) from the Caribbean coast and 45 miles (72 km) south-east of the Mayan city of the city of Maya Tikal in Guatemala.
Archaeological surveys have revealed that Caracol formerly covered more than 68 miles square (177 km square) with large roads, agricultural terraces, buildings and monumental structures, such as the 140 feet high (43 meters) Milk pyramidwhich has also been discovered by prosecution and remains one of the highest buildings in Belize to date.
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Arlen Chase, professor of anthropology at the University of Houston, said that Teotihuacán’s influences on the site indicated that the first Caracol leaders had deep contact with this region and other parts of mesoameric at the time.
“Center of Mexico and the Mayan region were clearly aware of the ritual practices of each”, even if Teotihuacán is around 745 miles (1,200 km) of Caracol, he said in the press release.
The links between the two regions seem to have been maintained by the leaders themselves, so that you k’ab chaak and other Maya kings may have “engaged in formal diplomatic relations with Teotihuacán”, said Chase.
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