Archaeologists discover pre-Columbian tombs in Peten which could shed light on Maya conflict

Record ID: 85413

  • Title: Archaeologists discover pre-Columbian tombs in Peten which could shed light on Maya conflict
  • Date: 27th September 2016
  • Summary: PETEN, GUATEMALA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PETEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2016 19:16
  • Keywords: Pre-Columbian tombs Peten archaeology Holmul
  • Location: GUATEMALA CITY AND PETEN, GUATEMALA
  • City: GUATEMALA CITY AND PETEN, GUATEMALA
  • Country: Guatemala
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA00751CFSXV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Guatemalan archaeologists said on Monday (September 26) they hope two tombs and a monument uncovered in Peten, will shed light on a clash between two kingdoms located in the Maya Lowlands during the Classic period (250-900 AD).
    Both tombs, located in northeastern Peten, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) from this capital city - escaped decades of looting at the site, a group of archaeologists told a news conference.
    Since the year 2000, archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli, who directs the Holmul Archaeological Project and his team have protected the site - the Classic Maya city of Homul - employing four park rangers to guard the site 24/7 from looters. The rangers also protect the Holmul's structures from erosion through the use of roofs.
    As a result, the coordinator of the foundation for Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage (PACUNAM), Hector Escobedo, said structures at Holmul were among the best preserved in the Maya region.
    "I would even go as far as saying that with this year's discovery, the structure of (...) chotal is one of the best preserved Preclassic buildings in the whole Maya region," Escobedo said.
    In 2013, this frieze dating back to the year 590 AD found in a temple in Holmul, changed the perception the Mayas were a peaceful people.
    The present day findings are important because one of the tombs - dating to between 650 and 700 DC - could be that of a ruler.
    Kaanul and Tikal, two great kingdoms from this period, competed with each other for control of resources and adjoining cities. This finding hopes to shed light on the political changes that occurred at the time.
    In another tomb in Holmul, the remains of a middle-aged person was found, accompanied by various vessels and jade ornaments. A jade necklace could be a "war trophy," explained Estrada-Belli at the National Palace of Culture.
    "Something very surprising for us because having worked there for almost sixteen years, this is the first major find of this kind. The offerings include some elaborate ceramics and objects of bone and shell. The most interesting is one that has an inscription that states that the object is a jade necklace piece and belongs to a king from another place," Estrada-Belli said.
    Archaeologists hope to solve the mystery of how this necklace came to be here.
    Through the Holmul Archaeological Project, Estrada-Belli and his team investigate the rise (and fall) of the Lowland Maya Civilization from its very earliest beginnings. The interactions of humans and their environment through time are a special area of interest.
    The discovery speaks of a great empire in the Maya Lowlands, continued Estrada-Belli.
    "So, it's a reference to a geopolitical connection, long distance, between these two kingdoms and speaks to the existence of a great empire in the Maya Lowlands at this time, in the 7th century AD so for us it's very important because it helps to explain the relationship between these large and small kingdoms in the Maya Lowlands and the existence of an empire," Estrada-Belli added.
    The Maya built soaring temples and elaborate palaces in Central America and southern Mexico, dominating the region for some 2,000 years, before mysteriously abandoning their cities around 900 AD.
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