Researchers find women and children among 1,000-year-old Maya skulls in Mexico
New analysis of 165 skulls found in a Chiapas cave suggests ancient ceremonies included a wider group of people than previously thought.
Researchers have identified that a collection of 165 human skulls found in a cave in Chiapas, Mexico, includes women and children. The remains were discovered in the Frontera Comalapa region in 2012, according to a report by the Times of India citing the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The skulls date back to the Early Postclassic period between AD 900 and 1200. The collection was identified as a tzompantli, which is a structure used for the ceremonial display of human skulls in ancient Mesoamerican societies.
Of the 165 skulls, 83 belonged to women, 79 to men, and 15 to children. The sex of three individuals could not be determined due to fragmented remains. Most adults were estimated to be between 25 and 35 years old, though two individuals were likely between 55 and 70 years of age.
Physical anthropologist Javier Montes de Paz conducted initial investigations, while researchers Cristell Delesma Pérez and Abigail Reyes López carried out subsequent estimations. Because pelvic bones were unavailable, researchers determined biological sex by examining skull shapes and eye socket structures.
The site showed evidence of fire use, including soot on the cave ceiling and heat exposure on some bones. Lozada Toledo suggested the cave might have been a pilgrimage site for Maya communities for religious practices, such as ceremonies seeking rainfall.
The remains also showed signs of intentional cranial deformation and missing lower jaws. Researchers noted that the skulls may have been handled and repositioned multiple times as part of ceremonial practices.