Latest news with #TeKabChaak
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Uncover Long Lost Tomb of Mayan King of Caracol
The mysteries surrounding the life and death of Te K'ab Chaak, the first ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Caracol in Belize, are about to get some answers. More than 40 years after uncovering Caana, the central architectural complex at Caracol, Belize, husband-and-wife archaeologists Arlen and Diane Chase have made a pivotal discovery in their exploration of the ancient ruins of Caracol. The couple and their research team have uncovered the burial tomb of Te K'ab Chaak.'The discovery is the first identifiable ruler's tomb found in over four decades of work in Caracol, the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize and in the Maya lowlands,' according to a press release from the University of Houston. Chaak, who ascended to the throne to become the city's first king in 331 AD, is believed to have died in 350 AD. Based on what the Chases and their team discovered, Chaak 'was interred at the base of a royal family shrine with 11 pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jadeite jewelry, a mosaic jadeite mask, Pacific spondylus shells, and other perishable materials.' Based on their findings, the Chases guess that Chaak 'was of advanced age' at the time of his burial. He is believed to have been 5'7' tall and had no remaining teeth. While the discovery has allowed researchers to answer some questions, it has also prompted the asking of other queries. 'One question that has perplexed Maya archaeologists since the 1960s is whether a new political order was introduced to the Maya area by Mexicans from Teotihuacan,' Diane Chase said. 'Whether this event represented actual Teotihuacanos in the Maya area or Maya using central Mexican symbols is still debated,' she continued. One thing she does know is that 'The Caracol archaeological data suggests that the situation was far more complicated.'Even following Chaak's passing, the dynasty he founded continued on for more than 450 years—making the discovery even more important to tracing the history of the civilization. 'Research continues on the contents of the chamber with the reconstruction of the jadeite death mask and with ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis of the skeletal material,' the statement says. The Chases will continue researching their discovery and plan to present the results of their findings at New Mexico's Santa Fe Institute in August. Archaeologists Uncover Long Lost Tomb of Mayan King of Caracol first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 11, 2025
The Sun
4 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Lost tomb & body of ancient 1,700-year-old king buried with chilling death mask uncovered in Mayan temple
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the 1,700-year-old tomb of the earliest known ruler of the ancient Maya city of Caracol. The tomb of Te K'ab Chaak, who once ruled over what is now modern-day Belize, was filled with a trove of ancient burial items. 5 5 5 A number of impressive objects, including 11 pottery vessels, jadeite jewellery, a mosaic jadeite mask and Pacific spondylus shells, were found at the burial site, which dates back to around 350 AD. As is typical for Maya funerary masks, the one found - though broken - was made by fitting together small pieces of jadeite, a precious green stone, into a mosaic pattern. The discovery of Te K'ab Chaak's tomb provides new insights into the origins of Maya dynastic rule and early regional interactions in Mesoamerica. After more than four decades of excavation, married archaeologists Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase from the University of Houston made a breakthrough. This marks the first time a Caracol king has been identified. Te K'ab Chaak became ruler in around 331 AD, founding the royal dynasty of Caracol - a major Maya metropolis until its abandonment by 900 AD. The Chases believe that Te K'ab Chaak was of advanced age at the time of his death. He stood around 5 feet 7 inches tall, according to their estimations. Te K'ab Chaak's tomb was located at the base of a royal family shrine. Archaeologists uncovered a cremation burial containing the remains of three individuals, dating to around 350 AD. LOST AT SEA Inside sunken ancient Egyptian city known as 'Venice of the Nile' with incredible temples that drowned 1,200 years ago The tomb also held items from central Mexico, including knives, obsidian blades and atlatl points. The discovery comes just over a month after an ancient Mayan city was discovered by archaeologists in northern Guatemala. The nearly 3,000-year-old remains include remarkable pyramids and monuments that appear to be "sculpted with unique iconography". This ancient city, named Los Abuelos - the Spanish for "The Grandparents" - once stood around 13 miles from the significant archaeological site of Uaxactún, according to Guatemala's culture ministry. 5 5 Los Abuelos gets its name from two human-like sculptures of an "ancestral couple" found there. These figures "could be linked to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship", the ministry added. The city is likely to have been "one of the most ancient and important ceremonial centres" of Mayan civilisation. Meanwhile, another ancient Mayan city was discovered deep inside a dense jungle within the Balamkú ecological reserve in the Mexican state of Campeche. Named Ocomtún - which means "stone column" in Yucatec Maya - the city was hailed as a "monumental" discovery by Mexican authorities in 2023. The settlement dates from roughly 250 AD and 1000 AD. Ocomtún boasts remains of several massive pyramid-like structures, three plazas with "imposing buildings", numerous stone columns and other cylindrical structures. One pyramid is estimated to have stood as tall as 82 feet, towering over the surrounding jungle. Who were the ancient Maya? THE Maya were an ancient, indigenous Mesoamerican civilisation that inhabited present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Flourishing for over two millennia - from around 2000 BC until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century AD - they developed one of the most sophisticated cultures in the ancient Americas. The Maya are celebrated for their achievements in architecture, mathematics, astronomy, art and writing. They built vast cities with tall step pyramids and palaces and also created intricate jadeite masks and objects. Their writing system, known as Maya hieroglyphs, was one of the most complex in the pre-Columbian Americas, used to record historical events, religious texts and royal genealogies. Maya mathematicians independently developed the concept of zero and used an advanced vigesimal system. This enabled them to produce highly accurate calendars. The Maya were conquered and destroyed by the Spanish invaders in around 1600 AD. But millions of Maya people still live today, preserving their languages and traditions.
