Latest news with #NationalInstituteofAnthropologyandHistory
Economic Times
01-08-2025
- Economic Times
‘Land of the White Jaguar' discovered, archaeologists finally locate lost Maya rebel stronghold in southern Mexico
Archaeologists identified the ancient Maya city of Sak-Bahlán, or 'Land of the White Jaguar,' deep in the jungle near Mexico's border with Guatemala, revealing a long-lost stronghold of Indigenous resistance Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered what they believe to be the remains of Sak-Bahlán, or the 'Land of the White Jaguar,' a Maya rebel stronghold lost for over three centuries. The site served as a haven for the Lakandon-Ch'ol Maya, who resisted Spanish colonization after the fall of their capital Lacan-Tun in 1586. Located deep in the jungle near the Jataté and Ixcán rivers, close to the present-day Mexico–Guatemala border, Sak-Bahlán is described as a political and cultural center where Maya rebels lived in relative autonomy for nearly 110 years. The site was subdued by Spanish forces following its rediscovery by Friar Pedro de la Concepción in 1695, renamed Nuestra Señora de Dolores, and eventually abandoned by 1721. Also read: Archaeologists unearth 13th-century knight under ice cream parlour in PolandThe breakthrough in locating Sak-Bahlán was made possible by combining historical texts with modern geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Josuhé Lozada Toledo, an archaeologist with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), led the research effort using centuries-old Spanish colonial Toledo relied heavily on the writings of Spanish friar Diego de Rivas. A 1695 letter described Sak-Bahlán as being situated on a plain along a bend in the Lacantún River in Chiapas. In later notes dated 1698, de Rivas detailed a four-day walk from the stronghold to the Lacantún River, followed by a two-day canoe trip to where the Lacantún and Pasión rivers meet."By combining all these variables, I was able to … obtain an approximate range of where the Sak-Bahlán site could be located," Lozada Toledo said in a translated statement from INAH. Factoring in terrain difficulty and the physical limits of carrying supplies, the team identified a likely area for the ruins. Subsequent fieldwork confirmed archaeological evidence consistent with 16th and 17th-century Maya read: Archaeologists discover 5,500-year-old 'Trapezoidal tombs' older than Egypt's PyramidsFollowing GIS mapping and historical research, archaeologists conducted two field seasons of excavation and survey work at the site. Located near the border with Guatemala, the site yielded structures, artifacts, and settlement patterns corresponding to the timeline of Maya resistance against the Spanish."It was the most arduous field trip I've ever had in my life, but in the end, we found the archaeological evidence, right at the spot I had marked," Lozada Toledo continue to investigate the site, testing materials and refining chronologies to confirm continuous occupation by the Lakandon-Ch'ol during the colonial era. Preliminary findings support the identification of the location as Sak-Bahlán, a major center of Maya resistance to Spanish colonial rule in southern Mexico. Further details of the discovery will be published in the upcoming issue of the archaeological journal Chicomoztoc.
Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Cavers find 500-year-old burials hidden deep inside Mexico mountain. Take a look
Reports of looting led archaeologists to explore an easily overlooked cave in northern Mexico. Eventually, the team found several 500-year-old burials in a hard-to-reach chamber of the cave. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History received a citizen complaint about historic bones being looted from a site in Coahuila and decided to investigate, the institute said in a July 1 news release. Working with Coahuila officials and the volunteer Coahuilense Speleology Association, archaeologists located a promising cave entrance in the mountains of Ocampo Natural Protected Area. A photo shows the small rocky hole. The cave entrance led to a narrow vertical shaft, measuring less than 2 feet wide, the institute said. Cavers lowered themselves about 13 feet before reaching the bottom. There, the cave opened into a room with a second vertical shaft. Again, the team rappelled down about 26 feet before reaching the bottom, officials said. They found themselves in a more spacious, semi-circular chamber with a collection of bones. Archaeologists identified the chamber as a burial site used by pre-Hispanic desert-dwelling communities. Originally, the site likely contained several burial bundles, a type of burial where the body is wrapped in fabric with various objects and carefully deposited on the ground, officials said. When the team found the site, however, the bones were scattered about with fabric fragments but no artifacts, the institute said. The site had likely been looted and generally altered. To prevent further loss or damage, archaeologists decided to collect the remaining burials. In total, they found 12 complete skulls, five of which were infant skulls, and hundreds of other bone fragments. The remains likely belonged to at least 17 people. Archaeologists also found 15 textile fragments from four types of mats, the institute said. A photo shows one of these delicate woven artifacts. Yuri de la Rosa Gutiérrez, an archaeologist involved in the project, described the site in the release as a typical pre-Hispanic mortuary cave. The communities that created these burials included expert rope-makers, who used ropes to reach chambers deep underground, a process similar to modern-day cavers. Researchers packed up the 500-year-old burials, carefully removed them from the cave and transferred them to the Regional Museum of La Laguna for further cleaning and analysis. The discovery will provide valuable insight into that region's nomadic populations, per the release. The Ocampo Natural Protected Area in Coahuila is near the United States border and roughly 50 miles south from Big Bend National Park in Texas. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.
Metro
11-06-2025
- General
- Metro
‘Holy Grail' shipwreck filled with £15,000,000,000 in treasure ‘found'
Stunning underwater photos have brought researchers one step closer to confirming the location of the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'. The San José, a Spanish ship, sunk in June 1708 after an attack by the British Royal Navy off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. At least 200 tonnes of gold, silver, gems, jewellery and other treasures collected in Spain's South American colonies were being shipped to King Philip V to finance his war of succession against the British. Spain and Britain were fighting the War of the Spanish Succession. But the huge hoard, thought to be worth about £14.8billion ($20billion) in today's money, went down with the ship and only 11 of its 600 sailors survived. The Colombian navy claimed it found the San José wreck in 2015, but evidence of its identity was limited – but new research published this week provides the strongest evidence yet that they are correct. The study, published in the Antiquity journal, includes pictures taken by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) examining the shipwreck which rests about 1,970ft below the surface. The high-quality images, using advanced underwater imaging and high-resolution scans of the coins, revealed the date the coins were struck. The coins, known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish, feature the mark of Lima, Peru. Some are stamped with the royal symbols of Castile and León, the emblems of Spain's empire. Crucially they are dated 1707, which is the year the San José set sail. Archaeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, explained: Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries. 'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon. 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century. 'The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' In 2023, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would raise the wreckage before his time in office ends in 2026. check our news page.
Metro
11-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Treasures of £14,800,000,000 'Holy Grail' shipwreck revealed in new images
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Stunning underwater photos have brought researchers one step closer to confirming the location of the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'. The San José, a Spanish ship, sunk in June 1708 after an attack by the British Royal Navy off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. At least 200 tonnes of gold, silver, gems, jewellery and other treasures collected in Spain's South American colonies were being shipped to King Philip V to finance his war of succession against the British. Spain and Britain were fighting the War of the Spanish Succession. But the huge hoard, thought to be worth about £14.8billion ($20billion) in today's money, went down with the ship and only 11 of its 600 sailors survived. The Colombian navy claimed it found the San José wreck in 2015, but evidence of its identity was limited – but new research published this week provides the strongest evidence yet that they are correct. The study, published in the Antiquity journal, includes pictures taken by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) examining the shipwreck which rests about 1,970ft below the surface. The high-quality images, using advanced underwater imaging and high-resolution scans of the coins, revealed the date the coins were struck. The coins, known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish, feature the mark of Lima, Peru. Some are stamped with the royal symbols of Castile and León, the emblems of Spain's empire. Crucially they are dated 1707, which is the year the San José set sail. Archaeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, explained: Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries. More Trending 'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon. 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century. 'The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' In 2023, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would raise the wreckage before his time in office ends in 2026. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Canary Islands hit by fourth power cut in only weeks MORE: Scientists who say there's a 'secret city' under Giza pyramid have now 'found a second one' MORE: ITV drops all episodes of mystery drama full of 'dark twists' for free
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
MrBeast Youtuber James Donaldson denies wrongdoing over Mayan ruins video
YouTuber MrBeast has denied he violated Mexican government permits while filming a video at an ancient archaeological site. James Donaldson, who boasts more than 300 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a video last week that showed him and several friends touring the inside of the ruins, visiting an archaeological site after dark and climbing up a Mayan pyramid. Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Visitors are welcome to view the site but are not to climb the pyramids or visit after nightfall. "I can't believe the government is letting us do this," Donaldson says at one point during the video. "Nobody gets to go where we're going." Shortly after the video was released, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History released a statement saying that a production company that worked with Donaldson violated the terms of the agreement by monetising the video. INAH said it was lodging the suit against the firm called Full Circle Media. "The permission granted to Full Circle Media … did not authorise … the use of images of the archaeological site for for-profit advertisements of private brands," INAH said. The video shows Donaldson displaying one of his brand's chocolate bars and calling it the "only Mayan-approved snack on the planet". When asked about the incident, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she wanted a report about what happened. "The information is that he had permission from the INAH, and now we need the INAH to tell us under what conditions this permission was granted," she said. "And if the permission was violated, then what sanctions will be imposed." Mexican Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel said Donaldson was authorised to publish "false information or use images of heritage sites for commercial advertising". But the YouTuber denied this was in violation of his agreement with the INAH. In a statement posted to his X account, Donaldson said he wanted to "clear some false things being said". "Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people," it said. "We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video". He said he and his team filmed with full permits, followed guidelines and had representatives from government agencies following them as well as archaeologists to make sure the information they were sharing was accurate. "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. "The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples." Lauda Sansores, the governor of Mexico's Campeche State, took to social media to thank Donaldson for visiting. Mr Donaldson referred to her comments in his statement, saying: "This video represents enormous publicity for the state, more than 56 million views in just four days." The video shows high production with audio and video editing and it is unclear how much of it was actually shot at the historical site. Later in a supplementary statement provided to The New York Times, the INAH appeared to soften its stance on the matter. "Despite the distorted information provided by the YouTuber, the dissemination of this type of material may motivate young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites."
