Inside a 1,500-year-old shaft tomb, archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History discovered a ceramic figurine of a shaman holding what may have been a weapon, according to archaeologist Marcos Zavaleta. The shaman was placed at the opening of the tomb as if he were guarding the undisturbed burial, which contained the body of one or possibly two high-status people and six pots that might have held food for the afterlife. The burial complex is located in the state of Colima on Mexico’s west coast. According to Zavaleta, this rare intact burial could reveal much about religion and funeral practices in ancient Colima.
Diminutive Gatekeeper
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Bronze Age Beads Go Abroad
(Courtesy Cambridge Archaeological Unit)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Rubber Ball Recipe
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Black Magic Seeds
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
A Friend for Hercules
MORE TO DISCOVER
Letter from Nigeria
July/August 2024
A West African Kingdom's Roots
Excavations in Benin City reveal a renowned realm’s deep history
Artifacts July/August 2024
Etruscan Oil Lamp
(Courtesy Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca e della Città di Cortona; © DeA Picture Library/Art Resource, NY)
Around the World July/August 2024
TONGA
(Phillip Parton/ANU)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Bronze Age Beads Go Abroad
(Courtesy Cambridge Archaeological Unit)
Features July/August 2024
Java's Megalithic Mountain
Across the Indonesian archipelago, people raised immense stones to honor their ancestors
(Courtesy Lutfi Yondri)