COLIMA, MEXICO—Live Science reports that a 1,700-year-old tomb was discovered in western Mexico during the renovation of a church. The entrance to the rare, intact tomb had been sealed with stones, grinding tools, and human bones. Inside, researchers discovered 12 skulls and additional bones in piles. Physical anthropologist Rosa María Flores Ramírez of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said that some of the skulls showed signs of damage, tooth fractures, and wear. Excavation of the tomb revealed additional burial levels. The second level contained two polished figurines sculpted from fine paste and decorated with ochre that had been placed facedown, along with two skulls. One of the figurines is thought to be a male shaman wearing an elaborate headdress and holding an ax. It measures about 15 inches tall. The other figurine is thought to be female, measures about 12.5 inches tall, and has a triangular head with a sharp nose. She has her hands crossed, holds a pot, and wears a banded headdress. Two other pots were also found in the burial. For more, go to “The Rabbit Farms of Teotihuacán.”
