Home / Science / 1,400-Year-Old Zapotec Tomb Unearthed in Mexico
1,400-Year-Old Zapotec Tomb Unearthed in Mexico
27 Jan
Summary
- A 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb was discovered in southern Mexico.
- The tomb features a sculpture of an owl with a man in its beak.
- Multicolored murals depict a funeral procession with incense.
Archaeologists in Mexico have made a remarkable discovery: a 1,400-year-old tomb belonging to the ancient Zapotec civilization. Uncovered in San Pablo Huitzo, Oaxaca, the tomb dates to approximately A.D. 600, a period when the Zapotecs, also known as the "Cloud People," flourished in the region.
The tomb's entrance features a striking sculpture of an owl, a symbol of death and power in Zapotec culture, with the face of a Zapotec lord visible within its beak. This suggests the tomb honors an important ancestor.
Inside, the burial chamber walls are adorned with vividly preserved murals in white, green, red, and blue, depicting a funeral procession. Participants are shown carrying bags of "copal," a resin used as incense in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican ceremonies. The tomb also contains an elaborately carved doorway with calendrical names and engraved figures.
This exceptional find is significant for its level of preservation and the detailed information it provides about Zapotec social organization, funerary rituals, and worldview. The tomb adds to over a dozen Zapotec tombs found in Oaxaca in the past decade, though many have been looted.
