Graves containing human bones dating back a thousand years have been discovered during construction work under a school.
The images show the skeletons, which were buried with a number of ceramic items and which were found just below where a sculpture had been discovered two years ago.
The discovery took place during construction work at a primary school in Alamo, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, on 30th May, with the find only being announced now.
Newsflash obtained a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico on 14th July saying: “As a result of levelling and paving works on the street adjacent to the elementary school in the community of Hidalgo Amajac, municipality of Alamo Temapache, Veracruz, on May 30, 2023, members of the community found a sculpture of the Young Ruler of Hidalgo Amajac II, named after the attributes similar to a first sculpture found in 2021.
“Among the removed earth, archaeological materials were appreciated, for which the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and its representation in Veracruz, considered
carrying out a rescue of the context to know the location more accurate spatial and temporal, according to the archaeologist in charge, Maria Eugenia Maldonado Vite.”
Maldonado Vite said that “the archaeological rescue began with the layout of five test pits in order to know the stratigraphy of that part of the settlement and obtain a ceramic series. In the original undisturbed layer on the strip adjacent to the school wall, a short occupation could be recorded, judging by the ceramic materials, corresponding to the Middle Postclassic period, around 1100 – 1200 AD.”
The statement said that six graves were found, with Maldonado Vite saying that “numbers 1 and 2 were found next to each other at a depth between 1 and 1.20 metres, under the fence of the primary school, extended in left lateral decubitus; both with dental filing, a common practice among the Huastec civilisation.”
The Huastecs, a pre-Columbian civilisation, were an offshoot of the Maya people who settled on the Gulf of Mexico.
Maldonado Vite said that “the set of burials 3, 4 and 5 were shallower, between 30 and 40 centimetres, they presented a seated position and were recorded in a very small space, close to the school fence and near the pipe of drinking water”.
The statement said: “For its part, burial 6, he added, was significant because it was found just below the place where the sculpture of the Young Ruler of Amajac II lay, near and below the drinking water pipe.
“Unlike the others, he adds, he was buried with three vessels as an offering. He appeared in a left lateral decubitus position with a jug with a basket handle and spout, a small plate and a large bowl, all located behind him, and corresponding to a black-on-red Tabuco ceramic service tableware, characteristic of the region.
“Within the context, the well located at the north end of the street was excavated, within the lot of one of the workers, the corner of what could be the base of an oven or stove was searched, since burned earth was observed in its base.”
By analysing the ceramic, bone and sculptural materials, as well as what remains of the evidence of structures, the experts were able to estimate how old the graves are.
Maldonado Vite said that it was a “large pre-Hispanic settlement, very similar to the current one, which had a short occupation and was contemporary with Tabuco, the early capital of the Tochpan bichou.”
The statement also said: “The archaeological intervention was carried out in coordination with the community, giving them the opportunity to witness the shelter and investigation; especially, to students of different educational levels.
“As part of the dissemination tasks and due to the interest of the primary school students, the researcher gave a brief talk about the archaeological works. In addition to giving the preliminary results of the archaeological rescue in a briefing.”
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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