After four decades, researchers have discovered the tomb of a Maya king in Belize. The king, known as Te K’ab Chaak, was the first ruler of the politically significant city of Caracol and began a royal dynasty that lasted over 450 years.
The details of the discovery will be presented later this summer at the Santa Fe Institute and will feature additional important findings from the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize, including two other tombs and a plethora of artifacts found within these burials.
The tomb is helping archaeologists piece together the crucial, yet mysterious, relationship between the Maya and Mesoamericans, showing that these two cultures may have interacted much earlier than believed.
“One question that has perplexed Maya archaeologists since the 1960s is whether a new political order was introduced to the Maya area by Mexicans from Teotihuacan,” said Diane Z. Chase, archaeologist and senior vice president for academic affairs and Provost at the University of Houston, in a press release. “Maya carved stone monuments, hieroglyphic dates, iconography, and archaeological data all suggest that widespread pan-Mesoamerican connections occurred after an event in 387 A.D."
"...the Caracol archaeological data suggests that the situation was far more complicated,” Chase added in the press release.
Read More: The Ancient Maya Appeased Their Gods With Sacred Offerings
The Tomb of Te K’ab Chaak
The research team found Te K’ab Chaak’s tomb at the base of a royal family shrine. At the time of his death, he measured 5’7” and was not a young man, especially evidenced by the fact that he was missing all of his teeth.
In the tomb, his body was accompanied by a large selection of artifacts, including pottery vessels, jewelry, shells, and even a jadeite death mask. The pottery found is especially interesting, featuring a collection of artistic scenes that depict Maya rulers, gods, and bound captives.
There have also been two other significant burials found in Caracol dating to around the same time as Te K’ab Chaak’s. The first burial was a cremation found in the center of a residential plaza. This burial practice is reminiscent of Mesoamerican traditions of the time rather than those of the Maya. Archaeologists believe the cremated remains belonged to a member of the Caracol royal family who decided to practice Mesoamerican rituals.
The second burial was another tomb, this time holding a woman, also located within the same residential plaza as the cremation. The woman was covered in hematite and, similar to Te K’ab Chaak, was buried with pottery vessels, a necklace, and shells.
Rewriting Maya-Mesoamerica Relations
All three of the burials uncovered in Caracol date to around 350 A.D., which is decades before Mesoamericans from Teotihuacan are believed to have visited Belize. However, since two of the three burials exhibit Mesoamerican ritual practices, these findings prove that high-ranking members of Maya society were in contact with people from Teotihuacan earlier than Maya monuments suggest. This relationship is quite fascinating, especially considering the fact that it would take 153 days to walk from Caracol to Teotihuacan, or vice versa.
"Both central Mexico and the Maya area were clearly aware of each other’s ritual practices, as reflected in the Caracol cremation. The connections between the two regions were undertaken by the highest levels of society, suggesting that the initial kings at various Mayan cities — such as Te K’ab Chaak at Caracol — were engaged in formal diplomatic relationships with Teotihuancan,” said Arlen F. Chase, professor and chair of the Comparative Cultural Studies department at the University of Houston, in the press release.
The team is continuing their research on the items found within the tomb, and hopes to use ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis of the king’s skeletal material to uncover more of his story.
Read More: Who Built Teotihuacán, One of the Largest Ancient Cities in Mesoamerica?
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University of Houston. University of Houston Archaeologists Discover Tomb of First King of Caracol
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