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 […]
Pre-Hispanic America
Posted inArchaeology, Pre-Columbian Era
An Altar Found in Tikal Reveals Teotihuacan’s Political Domination Over the Maya Elite in the Late 4th Century AD
Just steps from the center of Tikal, a Maya city more than 2,400 years old located in the heart of present-day Guatemala, an international team of researchers — including scholars from Brown University — has unearthed an altar that could offer revealing clues about an enigmatic and tumultuous period in Mesoamerican history. The altar, whose […]
Posted inArchaeology, Pre-Columbian Era
Remains of Men, Women, and Children Buried as Heroes Found in Circular Pits of the Chuquibamba Culture in Peru
In October 2024, the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Wrocław (UWr) began a new season of archaeological excavations in southern Peru, in a project that has yielded surprising findings that shed light on little-known aspects of the pre-Inca cultures of the region. The epicenter of these investigations has been the Atico River Valley […]
Posted inArchaeology, Pre-Columbian Era
5 Clay Figures with Dramatic Expressions Found Atop a Pyramid in El Salvador Could Be Ritual Puppets from 400 B.C.
A recent archaeological discovery in El Salvador could change the understanding of rituals and performances in Mesoamerica during the Middle Preclassic Period. A team of researchers, led by archaeologist Jan Szymański from the University of Warsaw, discovered five clay figures atop a pyramid at the San Isidro archaeological site. These figures, which feature striking facial […]
Posted inArchaeology, Pre-Columbian Era
The Pre-Hispanic Casarabe Civilization Developed an Engineering System to Cultivate Maize Year-Round in the Amazon Between 500 and 1400 AD
A recent archaeological discovery has revealed that an ancient pre-Columbian society in the Amazon region successfully developed a sophisticated agricultural engineering system that allowed them to cultivate maize continuously throughout the year. This discovery, made by a team of researchers from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) and the Department of Prehistory at […]
Posted inArchaeology
A Network of Parallel Ceremonial Roads Aligned with the Winter Solstice, Found in New Mexico
The Gasco archaeological site, located south of the iconic Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, has revealed a fascinating network of parallel ceremonial roads that, far from being mere functional infrastructure, embody deep ritual connections with geography and the cosmos. A recent study led by Robert S. Weiner and other researchers, published in Antiquity, explores how […]
Posted inArchaeology
A Pre-Hispanic Dock and Navigable Canal Connecting to Lake Texcoco Found Beneath Chapultepec Ave. in Mexico City
Beneath the bustling Chapultepec Ave., in the heart of Mexico City, a team from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) uncovered the remains of a dock and a navigable canal dating back to pre-Hispanic times at a depth of two meters. This area was once the shoreline of a peninsula located at the […]
Posted inPre-Columbian Era
How the Aztec “Death Whistles” Worked, the Terrifying Sound They Used in Sacrifice Rituals, Discovered
The so-called Aztec “death whistle” is an instrument distinguished by producing a chilling sound, comparable to a person’s blood-curdling scream, and has been the subject of study for its possible ritual uses and psychological effects on listeners. A recent analysis by the University of Zurich has revealed that these whistles can trigger an intense response […]
Posted inArchaeology
The Mass Offering of Children to Tlaloc Coincided with the Great Drought of 1454 in Mexico
In a context marked by water scarcity and collective despair, the mass offering of children sacrificed to the god of rain, Tlaloc, carried out in the 15th century, emerged as a response to the drought that devastated the population and crops between 1452 and 1454, when rains failed to come and fields lay barren. Through […]
Posted inArchaeology, Pre-Columbian Era
The Construction of the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent in Teotihuacán Led to the Emergence of the Maya “Ajawtaak”
The influence of Teotihuacán on Maya civilization during the Early Classic period (150-600 AD) has been widely debated, particularly concerning its role in the rise of the ajawtaak or Maya lords. A recent study focused on the site of Tikal and Teotihuacán’s interactions in Mesoamerica suggests that the construction of the Pyramid of the Feathered […]
