INAH discovers Mayan offering to gods of abundance in Yucatan

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has announced the discovery of a ceramic offering consisting of a tripod bowl and four vessels at the Uxmal Archaeological Zone in Yucatan.

Specialists from this institution indicate that it was likely deposited during the Late Classic period (750-900 AD) as part of an invocation to the goddess and god of abundance, represented in the dual monument: Lady Chak Chel and the Underworld Traveler.

The discovery was made at a depth of one and a half meters beneath the location where Stela 18 was discovered a few months ago, one of the most important findings recorded during the Archaeological Zone Improvement Program (Promeza) works.

Diego Prieto Hernández, the General Director of INAH, reported that this impressive discovery was made in Structure 26 of the architectural group known as El Palomar, where the team led by archaeologist José Huchim Herrera is working.

The interpretation by experts indicates that the four vessels placed in the offering evoke the four corners of the universe and the four cardinal points, and they contained a sacred liquid as food for the gods. Additionally, a tripod bowl with a rattle, still preserving its polychromy, covered the vessels as a container symbolizing the cosmos and the continuous harmony of the universe.

The Mayan ceramic offering was carefully removed to conduct micro-excavations and determine if it contained any food or specific organic and mineral materials at the time of its deposition.

The ceramic types, including an unslipped and striated short-necked pot, correspond to the Late Classic period (750-900 AD), with a predominance of ceramics from the Muna and Terminal Classic (900-1100 AD) groups.

It is worth noting that in just Section 3 of the Tren Maya, which runs from Calkiní to Izamal, where this centuries-old offering was found, INAH has reported the registration and preservation of 327,555 archaeological finds.

Among these, 7,368 correspond to immovable assets, such as foundations, walls, and platforms; 376 are movable assets, such as ceramics and grinding stones; 319,637 are ceramic fragments; 55 are human burials, and 119 are natural features such as caves and cenotes.

TYT Newsroom