Archaeology
Archaeologists uncover structure linked to the cult of Kukulcán
Archaeologists conducting excavations at Itzamkanac, also known as El Tigre, have uncovered a structure linked to the cult of Kukulcán.
Itzamkanac was the capital of the Acalán Maya, located in the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Campeche. The early centre of the city dates from the late Maya Preclassic period, while the majority of structures standing today were constructed during the early Classic period.
In the year 1525, Hernán Cortés briefly visited the city during his expedition to Honduras, aimed at quelling the rebellion led by Cristóbal de Olid. Spanish chroniclers at the time record that the city was divided into four districts and had a population of approximately 4,000 inhabitants.
Excavations conducted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have explored a circular structure which dates from between AD 1000-1200. According to the researchers, the structure is linked to the cult of Kukulcán, related to the Aztec wind god, Quetzalcóatl.
The Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl cult marked a significant departure from the traditional linguistic and ethnic boundaries of the Mesoamerican world during the Classic Period. This religious movement played a pivotal role in fostering communication and harmonious trade among diverse groups with varying social and ethnic backgrounds.
While its origins were rooted in the ancient city of Chichen Itza, situated in the present-day Mexican state of Yucatán, it extended its influence as far as the Guatemalan Highlands and northern Belize.
In the Paxbolón Maldonado Papers, it is mentioned Itzamkanac had temples dedicated to the four main deities of the Postclassic Maya, one of them being Kukulcán.
According to the researchers, the structure corresponds with the period recorded in historical text, a time when Itzamkanac had ties with other regions of Mesoamerica, such as central Mexico, Oaxaca and the Gulf Coast.
Header Image Credit : HJPD – GNU License
A Polish-Peruvian team of archaeologists have uncovered 22 mummified burials in Barranca, Peru.
The discovery was made on the Cerro Colorado hill, where the researchers unearthed the burials in one of four mounds located in a cluster.
Bioarchaeologist, Łukasz Majchrzak, said: “The bodies are wrapped in fabrics and plant material known as burial bundles. Between the layers of the fabrics we found ceramics, tools, and cult objects placed as funerary offerings.”
The team also found corn cobs and unidentified plant materials, which were likely placed as food for the deceased on their journey to the afterlife.
Six of the burial bundles contain the remains of adults placed in the fetal position, with their upper and lower limbs tucked under their chests.
According to the researchers, the adult burials are arranged vertically, which makes them appear as if they were sitting. They all have a similar external appearance, wrapped in thick fabric and entwined with rope.
One of the adult bundles is decorated with geometric patterns, while the remaining bundles – as Majchrzak suggests – may contain representations of animals and deities.
The other 16 burial bundles mostly contain the remains of children no older than 2 years old who were placed in a horizontal position.
The team plan to use computed tomography to examine completely preserved burial bundles that have no visible damage to allow for a non-invasive anthropological analysis. In further stages, they plan to carry out a chemical and isotope analysis, including the strontium isotope, which will determine whether the burials are from a local population.
Header Image Credit : R. Dziubińska
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
An international team, led by archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin has uncovered an ancient prehistoric fortress in a remote region of Siberia known as Amnya.
According to a study, published in the scientific journal “Antiquity”, the fortress is a complex system of defensive structures around an ancient settlement, dating from 8,000 years ago.
The fortress is spread across two settlement clusters, Amnya I and Amnya II. Amnya I consists of extant surface features such as banks and ditches, which enclose the tip of a promontory, and 10 house pit depressions. Ten further house pits, located approximately 50m to the east, comprise the open settlement of Amnya II.
Excavations have uncovered approximately 45 pottery vessels within the wider complex, including pointed and flat-based forms that reflect two distinct typological traditions.
The Amnya settlement complex signifies the start of a distinctive, enduring trend of defensive sites among hunter-gatherers in northern Eurasia—an almost continuous tradition that persisted for nearly eight millennia until the Early Modern period.
Tanja Schreiber, archaeologist at the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology in Berlin and co-author of the study, explains, “Through detailed archaeological examinations at Amnya, we collected samples for radiocarbon dating, confirming the prehistoric age of the site and establishing it as the world’s oldest-known fort.
“Our new palaeobotanical and stratigraphical examinations reveal that inhabitants of Western Siberia led a sophisticated lifestyle based on the abundant resources of the taiga environment,” added Schrieber.
The construction of fortifications by foraging groups has been observed in different parts of the world, primarily in coastal regions during later prehistoric periods. However, the early in inland western Siberia is unparalleled.
According to the researchers, the discovery transforms how we perceive ancient human communities, questioning the notion that the establishment of permanent settlements with grand architecture and intricate social systems began solely with the rise of agriculture.
Header Image Credit: Nikita Golovanov
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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