Archaeologists from Yucatan announced the discovery of a pre-Hispanic camp in which the Mayans took advantage of species of snails to feed themselves and make the first kitchen utensils, such as spoons.
“In 2022, the archaeological rescue of a site three kilometers from the northern coast of Yucatán was carried out, specifically in Telchac Pueblo. There, a large number of snails and fragments of the mollusk with percussion marks were found,” Alicia Beatriz Quintal , a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), revealed to EFE.
Accompanied by archaeologists Mario Alberto Garrido and Cristian Alonso Hernández, the researcher said that during the inspection of cadastral planking 3,089 of Telchac Pueblo, they found 20 pre-Hispanic structures scattered over 23 hectares where the Mayans cooked boiled or roasted mollusks. In addition, they found 119 sherds or pieces of ceramics.
Alicia Quintal explained that “marine resources, about other economic activities of pre-Hispanic inhabitants such as agriculture and commerce, allowed the development of peninsular Mayan society in its historical development.”
Alberto Garrido said that it is difficult to get to the camp that the Mayans used only during the dry season “because it is in the middle of nowhere and is located in the area of hard stone subsoil, savanna or flood-prone hill.”
“There where we found the malacological material, unusual mounds of earth appeared in places on the Yucatecan coast, and when we excavated them they were full of ash and charcoal as if it were a pile of something,” he said.
There are no registered archaeological sites near the area, he added, “which is why the discovery of the 20 structures is very important for the archeology of the region.”
The archaeologists also did not find natural sources of water, “although the area is full of cenotes.”
Alonso Hernández pointed out that the malacological analysis concluded that, unlike other Mayan settlements where ornaments predominated, in the camp, there were a large number of complete shells pierced with percussion and many fragments with preforms.
“We analyzed 171 snail elements from various structures documented in the planking,” he said. “The snails were found in low waters and near mangroves, where the current Mayans continue to collect for consumption and to make crafts,” he added. At the site were finished artifacts, traces, manufacturing procedures, and techniques. The use of food in some objects was also identified.
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