CARACOL, BELIZE—According to a statement released by The University of Houston, archaeologists working at the Maya city of Caracol recently made a groundbreaking discovery—the tomb of the city’s very first ruler, a man called Te K’ab Chaak. It is the first time any royal burial has been identified at the site. The team was led by university researchers Arlen and Diane Chase, who have been investigating Caracol for more than four decades. At its height during the sixth and seventh centuries a.d., the city was one of the largest and most important in the Maya world. Today, its ruins include pyramids, temples, palaces, ballcourts, and residential complexes. The team made the discovery in a part of the site known as the Northeast Acropolis when they reopened a burial chamber they had first explored in 1993. This time, as they dug a bit deeper, they hit another chamber, one belonging to the founder of Caracol’s royal dynasty, who ascended to the throne in a.d. 331. The tomb was covered with the red mineral cinnabar, an indicator of high status, and was filled with artifacts including painted ceramic vessels, carved bone tubes, three sets of jade ear flares, and a mosaic jadeite death mask. From the skeletal remains, the researchers estimate Te K’ab Chaak stood about five foot seven inches tall, and must have been at an advanced age when he died since he had no remaining teeth. To read about rulers of the Maya city of Pusilha in southern Belize who styled themselves as the Lords of Avocados, go to "A Passion for Fruit: Royal Fruit."
