CAMPECHE, MEXICO—Riviera Maya News reports that two funeral urns were discovered in the foundations of a Maya building in southeastern Mexico during an investigation on the route of the Maya Train. The first urn features a figurine of a deity in the form of a growing maize cob; the Maya symbol ik, which refers to the wind and the divine breath; and on the lid, an image of an owl, known to have been a symbol of war among the ancient Maya of the region. The second vessel also has an image of an owl on its lid, while its sides were adorned with appliques depicting the thorns of the sacred ceiba tree. Diego Prieto Hernández of Mexico’s National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH) said that the unfired pots contain human remains and may have been placed in the foundation as an offering. To read about a Maya pectoral whose shape and decoration refer to the ik symbol, go to "Artifact."
