Tombs Discovered at Maya Site of Xtojil

News January 17, 2013

SHARE:

MEXICO CITY—Ten 1,200-year-old burials have been discovered at the Maya site of Xtojil, some 12 miles from Chichen Itza, by archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of History and Anthropology. The tombs, or cistas, are rectangular in shape and covered with stone slabs. They contained poorly preserved skeletal remains and ceramics such as plates, bowls, pots, pans, and cups. Obsidian razors, jade beads, and shell earrings acquired through trade with other Mesoamerican people were also found. Road construction prompted the excavation.

  • Features November/December 2012

    Zeugma After the Flood

    New excavations continue to tell the story of an ancient city at the crossroads between east and west

    Read Article
    Photo of Belkıs/Zeugma
    (Hasan Yelken/Images & Stories)
  • Letter from India November/December 2012

    Living Heritage at Risk

    Searching for a new approach to development, tourism, and local needs at the grand medieval city of Hampi

    Read Article
    (Gethin Chamberlain)
  • Artifacts November/December 2012

    Beaker Vessels

    Ceramic beakers were the vessels of choice for the so-called “Black Drink” used at Cahokia by Native Americans in their purification rituals

    Read Article
    (Linda Alexander, photographer, use with permission of the Illinois State Archaeological Society)
  • Digs & Discoveries November/December 2012

    The Desert and the Dead

    Read Article
    chinchorro-mummy
    (Courtesy Bernardo Arriaza)