In the fall of 2023, something fascinating happened in the Guerrero mountains of southern Mexico. Young cave guide Adrián Beltrán Dimas teamed up with Yekaterina Katiya Pavlova, a Russian speleologist. Pavlova was on a mission to map out the local caves and needed a local expert who truly knew the area, so Dimas was the perfect choice.
They ventured into the Tlayócoc cave, which had been explored before, as noted in an April 9 announcement from the National Institute of Anthropology and History. They’ll surprise you with what they found next!
As they made their way deeper into the cave, they stumbled upon a submerged passageway. It was a pathway that had never been traveled before, prompting Dimas and Pavlova to take the plunge (literally) into the unknown.
What awaited them? An entirely new room filled with incredible artifacts dating back centuries!
The duo uncovered two magnificent shell bracelets adorned with intricate engravings showcased beautifully within the stalagmites—those natural stone towers rising from the cave floor. They even stumbled upon fragments of a third bracelet, a giant snail shell, and scattered black stone discs.
Excited about their find, they immediately notified local authorities, and soon after, a team of archaeologists went back in March for further investigation.
Dimas took the archaeologists back to the hidden room where they conducted their examinations. Experts noted that the stalagmites displayed signs of human alteration from pre-Hispanic times, transformed into a smoother, rounder shape, diverging from their original pointed forms.
Dive Deeper into Archaeology
This discovery has generated loads of interest in historical finds! Here’s a quick look at other recent archaeology stories:
- A soldier uncovers a 2,600-year-old burial site with Greek artifacts in Ukraine.
- Local insight proved true on the origins of an ancient standing stone in a UK forest.
- Excavation reveals a 3,100-year-old tomb of a military leader in Egypt brimming with treasures.
In total, archaeologists retrieved 14 objects from the cave, shedding light on how ancient cultures used it, including three complete shell bracelets, one missing a part, the giant snail shell, along with both whole and broken stone discs, as shared in the release.
The artifacts showcase fascinating engravings, including symbols, human-like figures, and various shapes—like S-shapes, zigzag lines, and circles. The historical links here are intriguing!
Pavlova shared visuals of the site at the time of the discovery, allowing experts to further analyze how each object was positioned. The pieces have been dated back to the Postclassic period, somewhere between 950 and 1521 AD, so those artifacts span from 500 to 1,000 years old. Wild, right?
Interestingly, the symbols on the bracelets bear resemblance to historical accounts from the 16th century, pointing to the Tlacotepehua ethnic group, a culture that has sadly faded into history.
Archaeologists highlight that caves represent realms associated with the underworld and Earth’s womb. Hence, these artifacts could imply deeper connections to creation and fertility concepts.
What’s more, some of the bracelets featured designs akin to those from the Guerrero mountains’ other cultures and far-reaching areas.
The nearby community of Carrizal de Bravo was originally inhabited by nomadic cattle herders. Once living in high elevations, they transitioned to a lower altitude a century ago where they remain today. Nonetheless, not much is known about the community’s early history.
Carrizal de Bravo lies in the southwestern part of Mexico, roughly a 200-mile jaunt southwest from Mexico City.
Note: Translations were made possible through Google Translate for this news.
