Near Carrizal de Bravo in the Sierra of Guerrero, a cave known as Tlayócoc has revealed an archaeological treasure that could rewrite part of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic history. The discovery, made in the fall of 2023 by a local guide and a Russian speleologist, has sparked the interest of experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), who confirmed the significance of the objects found: engraved shell bracelets, black stone discs, and other artifacts that were likely deposited as offerings more than 500 years ago.
It all began when Adrián Beltrán Dimas, a young guide from the community of Carrizal de Bravo, accompanied speleologist Yekaterina Katiya Pavlova to explore the Tlayócoc cave, as part of a mapping project the researcher is conducting in the region. After reaching an already known area, they decided to go deeper into a submerged passage that led them to a hidden chamber.
What they found left them speechless: two finely engraved shell bracelets, placed on stalagmites, accompanied by another bracelet, a giant snail shell, and several black stone discs — similar to pyrite mirrors — some whole and others fragmented.
It was like stepping into a place frozen in time, Beltrán told local authorities. They immediately alerted the ejido’s surveillance committee, who safeguarded the objects to prevent looting.
In mid-March 2024, a team of INAH specialists arrived in Carrizal de Bravo to inspect the site. Archaeologists Cuauhtémoc Reyes Álvarez and Miguel Pérez Negrete, along with historian Guillermina Valente Ramírez, documented the discovery with the help of photographs and maps provided by Pavlova.
In a more detailed exploration, they discovered that the stalagmites had been modified in pre-Hispanic times to give them a more spherical shape, suggesting ritual work. Additionally, among the sediment, they found three more stone discs, bringing the total to 14 registered archaeological pieces.
The bracelets, made from marine shells (possibly from the species Triplofusus giganteus), are decorated with S-shaped symbols — known as xonecuilli — zigzag lines, circles, and human faces in profile. According to experts, these motifs could be linked to deities or cosmogonic concepts related to creation and fertility.
For their part, the black stone discs, with small perforations on the edges, show similarities to artifacts found in other archaeological zones in Guerrero, such as El Infiernillo, in Coahuayutla, and even with distant cultures like the Huastec.
This sealed context allows us to understand how the ancient inhabitants conceived of these caves as portals to the underworld or as sacred spaces connected to the earth and the divine, explained Reyes Álvarez.
Evidence suggests the objects were placed during the Postclassic period (950–1521 AD), a time when the region was inhabited by the tlacotepehuas, an extinct ethnic group about which very little is known. Sixteenth-century historical sources mention their presence in the area, but this discovery could provide new data on their ritual practices and trade connections.
Carrizal de Bravo, located at 2,397 meters above sea level, is a Nahua-origin community whose ancestors were nomadic shepherds before settling in the region.
The institute plans to implement an awareness campaign to preserve the biocultural heritage of the area, in addition to launching conservation studies for the pieces found, which remain under the custody of local authorities.
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