Zapotec Carvings Discovered in Central Mexico

SANTA CRUZ HUEHUEPIAXTLA, MEXICO—BBC News reports that local people discovered a collection of rock carvings on top of the Cerro de Peña in central Mexico. José Alfredo Arellanes of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said a total of 87 glyphs have been found to date. The images include two etched stone panels and smaller carved stones. One of the panels depicts a human figure with horns and claws clothed in a loincloth. Other images show an iguana, an eagle, and a female figure resembling a bat that may depict a deity. Arellanes said the Zapotec are thought to have made the carvings about 1,500 years ago. There were probably pyramids, a ball court, and a ceremonial area on the mountaintop, he added. To read about private rituals practiced by Zapotec nobles, go to "Zapotec Power Rites."