Excavation of Human Skeletal Remains Botched in Mexico Cave (PRI)

By Shannon Young ? March 27, 2012

Earlier this month, the skeletal remains of more than 167 people were discovered in a cave in Chiapas, Mexico. Initial reports suggested the find may have been a mass grave. It wouldn’t have been the first such discovery in Mexico in the past year. Mass graves have become an increasing common discovery within the context of the country’s drug war.

But the human skeletal remains found in that cave in Frontera Comalapa, Chiapas turned out to be unique. It wasn’t a mass grave, but a pre-Columbian bone deposit.

“This is like the first time that’s happened, at least in my administration here in the state,” said Dr. Emiliano Gallaga, director of the Chiapas office of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, known as INAH. The institute is the official caretaker of Mexico’s physical ancient history, like the remains in that cave. INAH should have been contacted before the bones were taken from the site, but that didn’t happen.

“My guess is that the person who discovered the cave with a bunch of skeletons got scared and called the police,” said Gallaga. “They saw there were a bunch of bones and they freaked out, because (of the) narco violence that we have… So they came right away, they collect the stuff, and they took it. And finally someone said, ‘wait a minute, this looks old!’”

Gallaga said it wasn’t until after the remains were removed that INAH staff were consulted. Because this find occurred over a weekend, they were only sent photos. Given that some of the skulls showed evidence of intentional cranial deformation, a practice used in ancient Mesoamerican societies, anthropology officials told police medical examiners that the bones could possibly be pre-Columbian.
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more: http://www.theworld.org/2012/03/mexico-bones-evidence-destroyed/