Mysterious Unfired Clay Sculptures Found in Mexican Cave

CUEVA DEL REY KONG-OY, MEXICO—Recent research has shed new light on the enigmatic clay sculptures within the Cueva Rey del Kong-Oy, also known as “Devil’s Cave, in Oaxaca, Mexico. The cavern has been a sacred place for the local indigenous Ayuuk ja’ay, or Mixes, people for centuries, as it is associated with the mythical figure Rey Kong-Oy. According to the Greek Reporter, since 2018, archaeologists have found 72 unusual clay figures ranging from 27 inches to 6.5 feet tall rising up from the cavern floor. These depict men, women, and children, but also animals such as jaguars, monkeys, and frogs. What is particularly unusual about them is that they were made from unfired clay. Baking clay sculptures in a kiln usually helps preserve them, but the cave’s stable temperature and humidity ensured their survival for more than a millennium. Led by University of Barcelona archaeologist Leslie F. Zubieta Calvert, the recent study indicates that most were created between a.d. 600 and 900, though one figure is as much as 2,000 years old. The researchers determined that all of the figurines were sculpted from clay deposits within the cave itself and not from outside sources. In some cases, clay was applied directly to stalagmites, which acted as skeletal frameworks that enabled the creation of larger sculptures. The exact purpose of these mysterious figures and the identity of their creators is unknown, but they had clear ceremonial and ritual significance for centuries. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. To read about Aztec serpentine figurines buried inside Mexico City's Templo Mayor, go to "Magical Mesoamerican Relics," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2023.