Prehistoric Human Remains Unearthed Near Mexico City

News June 26, 2024

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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO—According to a Mexico News Daily report, the skeleton of a hunter-gatherer unearthed on the outskirts of Mexico City is estimated to be at least 10,000 years old, based upon its physical features. Physical anthropologist Arturo Talavera González of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said that the male skeleton, which has been dubbed “Yotzin,” has an elongated skull, wide jaws, and cavity-free teeth. Wear on the man's remains indicates that Yotzin performed intense physical activity, including long walks and the use of his teeth as tools. Radiocarbon dating is expected to provide a more exact age for the bones and confirm Yotzin’s place in the chronology of the peopling of the Valley of Mexico, González explained. INAH scientists are planning to return to the site where Yotzin was found for additional research. To read about prehistoric remains of a woman found in the Yucatán, go to "Naia—the 13,000-Year-Old Native American," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2014.

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