Ancient remains found 200 meters in a cenote chamber are retrieved from the sea and reveal a human skeleton in a shelter or ritual space from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Human remains found 200 meters deep in Yucatán cenote are sent for analysis after recovery of about 40% of the skeleton

Human remains found in a cenote chamber in the Yucatán Peninsula were taken to Mexico City for forensic and anthropological study, in a step considered important for expanding the understanding of the country’s first inhabitants.

Transfer

The remains were transferred to the Bioarchaeology Group of the Archaeological Salvage Directorate of INAH.

In Mexico City, specialists will conduct a forensic and anthropological study on the recovered material.

Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Secretary of Culture of the Mexican Government, stated that the transfer and study represent an important step in understanding the country’s first inhabitants.

Parts Found

Arturo Talavera González estimates that about 40% of the skeleton was recovered, including parts of the skull, ribs, and vertebrae, the clavicles, the right scapula, fragments of the pelvis, and long bones of the limbs.

Profile

The preliminary observations are based on the angle of the mastoid process and the thickening of the frontal bone above the eye sockets.

With this, the anthropologist determined that the individual was male.

Based on the long bones, he estimated a height between 1.45 and 1.50 meters. The death would have occurred between the ages of 20 and 25.

Cenote

The skeleton was found at the bottom of a cenote chamber, about 200 meters deep in the cave system. Deposits of charcoal around indicate human activity at the site.

Ancient Context

The remains suggest that the area may have served as shelter or ritual space between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago, when the environment was a dry cave and the sea level was very low.

During this period, the Yucatán Peninsula was a prairie with shrubs, grasses, few trees, and megafauna.

According to González, there were fire pits and, probably, the chamber was used as a burial crypt, demonstrating beliefs and funeral rites.

With information from Heritagedaily.

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