Latin America
Related: About this forumSHOCK FIND: Archaelogists discover mass grave containing 2,400-year-old skeletons
A MASS grave containing the 2,400-year-old remains of ancient Mayan settlers has been uncovered by archaeologists near Mexico City.
By SIMON OSBORNE
PUBLISHED: 21:45, Wed, Jan 31, 2018 | UPDATED: 22:02, Wed, Jan 31, 2018
The skeletons were found ritually intertwined and examinations showed all their heads had been damaged and teeth mutilated.
They were buried along with bowls, pots and basins. Some also had ceramics and stones in their hands.
Lead anthropologist Lucia Lopez Mejia said the bodies were laid out in a spiral shape and were interacting.
They were placed directly on the earth with their bodies were linked so the arm bones of one individual appear under the spine of another.
More:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/912844/mayan-grave-tlalpan-mexico-city-archaeological-discovery-mass-burial
Anthropology:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/12293576
Beakybird
(3,333 posts)unfortunately.
A sacrifice?
Judi Lynn
(160,601 posts)I was thinking maybe it was an invasion by another force, another society, or something, since so many people were slaughtered. The fact they arranged their bodies in patterns for burial is an indication it would have been totally planned in advance, it would seem.
You're right. Looks as if cruelty can be brought to living expression in human beings if the motivation is there.
It really is horrifying.
Judi Lynn
(160,601 posts)George Dvorsky
Today 3:10pm
Mexican archaeologists have discovered a 2,400-year-old burial site in which 10 skeletons were meticulously placed in a circular formation and with their body parts interlocked. The researchers have never seen anything like it, with signs pointing to a previously unknown ritualistic practice.
This incredible discovery was made near the center of Tlalpan, a city just south of Mexico City. The ancient village associated with this grave was discovered back in 2006, and archaeologists with Mexicos National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have been conducting excavations in and around it ever since. The bodies were found about four feet beneath a building at the Pontifical University of Mexico, which used to house classrooms, a small chapel, and dorms for priests.
Of the 10 bodies discovered in the grave, INAH archaeologists have confirmed the presence of two females, a male, a child, and an infant. At least two skeletons appear to have intentionally deformed skulls, and some have intentionally deformed teeth, according to a preliminary analysis. Clay pots and rounded bowls with tiny circular openings were also found at the site.
Signs of cranial deformation among the remains of ancient Mesoamericans is nothing newit was likely done to signify group affiliation, demonstrate social status, or as a cosmetic enhancementbut its the orientation of the bodies in the grave thats particularly noteworthy.
More:
https://gizmodo.com/ancient-grave-with-skeletons-arranged-in-bizarre-spiral-1822628714
Judi Lynn
(160,601 posts)By Aliyah Kovner
02 FEB 2018, 20:49
. . .
The team has not yet determined if the graves occupants died of natural causes or were killed as part of a ceremony or offering.
We believe that it could be some interpretation of life, because individuals have different ages: There is a baby, a child, an infant, some young adults, adults, and an older adult, said project leader Jimena Rivera to the website Noticieros Televisa.
. . .
Little is known about the civilization these individuals belonged to. Predating the later Aztec culture by nearly 2,000 years, researchers believe the Tlalpan village is one of the earliest human settlements in the area. Findings from previous digs at the site suggest this community flourished for about 500 years between the Zacatenco and Ticoman phases in Mesoamerican history.
At around the same time, the massive Olmec empire was flourishing along the Gulf of Mexico. Yet, as was the fate of many once-powerful indigenous groups, both the Tlalpans and Olmecs declined mysteriously.
http://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/haunting-spiralshaped-mass-grave-discovered-in-mexico-city/