Burned remains at Maya pyramid reveal dramatic regime change
In the depths of an ancient Maya pyramid and temple in Guatemala, archaeologists have made a startling discovery. Scorched bones believed to belong to royalty and burned rare artifacts hint at a ceremonial desecration linked to a significant political upheaval in the distant past. The remains were discarded within the foundations of the temple, which was still under construction at the time of the dramatic event.
At the archaeological site of Ucanal, a team led by Christina Halperin at the University of Montreal unexpectedly found the charred deposit beneath a pyramid temple structure. They found bones from at least four people, along with thousands of ornamental greenstones, shell beads, pendants made of mammal teeth, and various weapons — items that indicate high status.
It became clear that the human remains belonged to royalty when, after hours of sifting through ash, the archaeologists found the nosepiece and obsidian eye discs of a burial mask.
