A 1,700-Year-Old Tomb In Mexico "Rose Up" From The Ground
An interdisciplinary scientific group led by experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH), after a year of restoration work, showed a thousand-year-old luxurious tomb that literally "rose from the ground."
The study is briefly reported on the INAH website. Scientists learned about the existence of this tomb in 2017 when a powerful earthquake occurred in Mexico. The "risen from the ground" tomb was discovered by residents of the village of Santiago Tillo, Oaxaca. It is located a few kilometers from this locality.
The villagers noticed a hole that had formed in the ground. They reported it to the local authorities. The archaeologists who arrived at the site found out that the hole was formed due to the collapse of stone slabs that covered the tomb from above and moved during the tremors.
According to scientists, this tomb belonged to the Mixtecs - a people who were subordinate to the Aztecs. Its age is probably between 1100 and 1700 years. Presumably, she spent most of the past time underground. For its restoration, Mexican scientists invited their colleagues from Switzerland, who have good experience in restoring Egyptian tombs.
As a result of painstaking work, the so-called tomb of 1 Loma Tendoma was saved by archaeologists. In particular, they managed to restore the colorful frescoes on the walls. They were symbols from the Mixtec ritual calendar. A total of 28 such characters were identified: "rabbit", "deer", "lizard", "house" and others.
The architecture of the tomb itself deserves attention. Initially, a large hole was dug in the ground. Then its walls were covered with blocks of various types of stones: Sandstone, limestone, and basalt. All these breeds are typical for this region. The cracks between the blocks were filled with reddish clay.
The tomb consists of two rectangular chambers connected by a corridor. The main chamber is decorated with eight magnificent frescoes in the style of the Zapotecs, another pre-Hispanic people. The walls were covered with red pigment.
In the burial chambers, a team of archaeologists found the remains of seven people, including three children. Judging by the items found here, they all belonged to the upper class. They were probably representatives of the Royal families.
These people were buried at different times between 300 and 900 years of our era. In the teeth of some of them were found inserts of precious stones. Such ornaments were the privilege of the noblest people.
Besides, two alabaster vessels and 45 ceramic items were found in the tomb, including 12 bowls decorated with bright pigments. All these pigments were natural. Archaeologists were able to restore three shades of blue, two shades of yellow and red, and one shade of green, pink, black, and white.
Scientists note that these pigments were used by ancient masters very exquisitely, which allowed creating a "solemn internal atmosphere" inside the tomb.
A replica of this tomb will be displayed in the Museum.