MEXICO

MEXICO: The Young Man of Chan Hol was interred in a cave in the Yucatán more than 10,000 years ago, and there he stayed, even as sea levels rose and the cave flooded. Three years ago, divers found his remains 1,800 feet in. After studying them in situ, archaeologists have methodically removed the bones, some of the oldest in North America, for conservation and additional study. Physical anthropologists hope they will provide insight into the peopling of the Americas. 

Samir S. Patel is a contributing editor at ARCHAEOLOGY.