Experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History discovered a cave in the municipality of Sintalapa in the state of Chiapas, southern Mexico, containing 13 ritual storage chambers dating back to before the arrival of Columbus, comprising 179 artifacts.
According to experts, this discovery is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the region in recent decades.
A local tour guide discovered the "Mundo Zoc" cave, which is about 100 meters long and difficult to access, requiring a descent by rope from a height of more than 10 meters. Experts at the institute believe that the cave's inaccessibility has helped preserve it for centuries and prevented looting.
Inside the cave, scientists found jars and ritual vessels, many of which were engraved with images of tigers, owls, and snakes.
“These three animals are linked to the Zuque people’s worldview, to the nocturnal world and caves,” says Jose Losada Toledo, a researcher at the Chiapas branch of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. “The leopard symbolizes darkness and is the guardian of the underworld, the owl is associated with night and wisdom, and the snake symbolizes power and the cycle of life and death.”
Some of the artifacts bear engravings of cepha thorns, a tree considered sacred by the local population, suggesting, according to experts, that the cave was used for ceremonial purposes. According to Lozada Toledo, the site is believed to have been dedicated to rituals associated with invoking rain and promoting fertility.
Experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History are continuing their study of the cave and the artifacts discovered within it. Detailed analyses of the inner layers of the well-preserved pottery fragments are planned and may reveal remnants of materials used in ancient rituals.
According to initial estimates, these ceramic pieces were likely made between 600 and 900 AD.
