Maya Ruler’s Tomb Is Unearthed in Belize, With Clues to His Ancient World

Americas|Maya Ruler’s Tomb Is Unearthed in Belize, With Clues to His Ancient World

The archaeologists worked in the shadow of towering Maya ruins, piercing the floor of a structure they had searched years before.

Below, they found an even more ancient chamber, still holding a body and the treasures it was buried with: a rare mosaic death mask and jadeite jewelry, shells from the Pacific and elaborate designs on pottery and bone.

It was the 1,700-year-old tomb of a Maya ruler — the first ever found at Caracol, the largest Maya site in Belize — and it held clues to a Mesoamerican world where cities contended with one another from hundreds of miles apart.

“They’ve found a very early ruler, so that’s very important, and he’s claimed to be the founder of a dynasty,” said Gary Feinman, an archaeologist at Field Museum of Chicago who was not involved in the excavation. “That’s a major find.”

Arlen Chase, one of the archaeologists working at Caracol, was among the first to enter the tomb. “As soon as we saw the chamber, we knew we had something,” he said.

From the style of ceramic vessels, he knew the tomb was exceptionally old. From the red cinnabar all around, he knew it was for someone of very high status.