The soil of Mexico still holds many Mayan secrets. The final surprise? An underground structure with painted walls, which emerged during the excavations of a ritual playground. A discovery that could change our understanding of this ancient civilization.
An unexpected discovery in Mayan Mexico
In the heart of the Mexican state of Campeche, a team of archaeologists led by Ivan Sprajc from the Institute of Anthropological and Space Studies in Slovenia made a surprising discovery. While excavating a Mayan playground, researchers came across a mysterious underground structure with painted walls.
The find occurred in a previously unexplored area south of Ocomtun, a lost Mayan city discovered in 2023 by the same team. Šprajc explains the importance of the site:
This is evidently a very important structure, because playgrounds are normally found only at major Maya sites, which were centers of regional political organization.
Features of the Mayan structure
Although the building's exact form and function remain a mystery, archaeologists have revealed some intriguing details:
- The walls are covered with a layer of painted stucco.
- The structure could date back to the Early Classic period (200-600 AD).
- It lies beneath a Mayan ritual playground, a typical feature of major Mayan centers.
Prior to this discovery, Šprajc's team had conducted an extensive survey of the Maya Lowlands using lidar, an advanced remote sensing technology. This method allowed archaeologists to map vast territories and identify potential sites of interest.
Other discoveries in Mayan Mexico
In addition to the underground structure, archaeologists have uncovered other significant elements. Among all: a site with a square, a 16 meter high pyramid and a rectangular water tank.
At the top of the pyramid, the team then made another interesting discovery: votive offerings. Ceramic vases, an animal paw, also in ceramic (apparently an armadillo), a spearhead.
According to Šprajc, these offerings date back to the Late Postclassic period (1250-1524 AD), a much more recent era than the underground structure.
The meaning of Mayan offerings
The presence of these offerings in such a late period is particularly significant. Šprajc himself explains it:
The offering indicates that, even after most Classic period Maya settlements had been abandoned, small human groups still roamed, depositing offerings on or near the buildings of their ancestors.
This discovery sheds new light on Mayan cultural continuity, even after the decline of large urban centers.
The collapse of the Mayan civilization in Mexico
The discovery fits into a broader context of climate and social changes that led to the decline of the classical Maya civilization. The researcher describes this transition period:
The central Maya Lowlands had already fallen into political disorder. But people remained in the area after the crisis that led to drastic population declines in the 9th and 10th centuries, caused by overpopulation, soil depletion, climate change (prolonged droughts), and destructive wars.
New answers on the topic, therefore. But also new questions and research perspectives:
- What was the function of the underground structure?
- How did it relate to the playing field above?
- What do the wall paintings tell us about the Mayan culture of that period?
- How has the use of these sites evolved over the centuries?
Towards new Mayan research in Mexico
Šprajc and his team are cautious but optimistic about future research:
Only further excavations will reveal the shape of that underlying building and what its function was.
This caution highlights the complexity of Mayan archeology and the importance of a methodical and patient approach.
The importance of the conservation of Mayan sites in Mexico
The discovery also highlights the importance of preserving Mayan archaeological sites in Mexico. Many sites remain unexplored or only partially studied, and each of them could contain valuable information about Mayan history and culture.
Each new discovery reminds us how much more there is to learn about this fascinating civilization. The newly discovered underground structure is only the latest chapter in a thousand-year history that continues to unfold before our human and technological eyes.
