Anthropologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History determined that the remains, dated between AD 900 and 1200, included 83 women, 79 men, 15 children, and three unidentifiable individuals. Without pelvic bones, researchers established biological sex by analyzing skull features, including lower jaw shapes and eye socket structures. Traces of soot, fire exposure, removed upper teeth, and missing lower jaws indicate the cave hosted elaborate rituals. Experts suggest the subterranean space likely served as a sacred regional destination for events such as rainfall ceremonies.
Key points
The diverse demographics of the remains show that ancient Mesoamerican skull racks incorp…: The diverse demographics of the remains show that ancient Mesoamerican skull racks incorporated women and children alongside adult men.
Physical traces such as soot, cut marks, and missing jaws indicate the cave hosted comple…: Physical traces such as soot, cut marks, and missing jaws indicate the cave hosted complex, long-term religious rituals rather than simple executions.
The Chiapas discovery reveals that elaborate tzompantli practices were established well b…: The Chiapas discovery reveals that elaborate tzompantli practices were established well before the rise of central Mexico's Aztec civilization.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Not all findings in history lead us to an answer; some leave us grappling with even more questions. Human remains have long opened up a range of curious questions: what happened, why, and who were these people? More often than not, they open the pathway for researchers to learn what beliefs and traditions shaped community life and even death.
But sometimes, what appears to be a familiar archaeological finding can turn out to tell a rather different story. This was the case with a collection of 165 human skulls discovered inside a cave in Chiapas, Mexico, in 2012. At first associated with the ancient Maya practice of displaying human skulls, the remains have now offered researchers a more complicated picture of the people who were part of these ceremonies, with women and children forming a significant part of this collection.
A discovery inside a cave in Chiapas
According to findings from
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), reported by Arkeonews on November 6, 2026, the discovery was made in the Frontera Comalapa region of Chiapas, close to Mexico's…
Researchers from Murdoch University tracked Carnaby’s cockatoos across Western Australia's agricultural Wheatbelt to examine how habitat loss influences their movement during breeding season. The birds regularly depend on small, degraded vegetation pockets to avoid crossing wide open spaces, though foraging across cleared landscapes forces them to travel significantly greater distances. These observations expose major flaws in federal conservation guidelines that routinely permit the removal of smaller bushland re…
Scientists stepped in to extract the imperiled alpine spiny crayfish after a massive blaze threatened to foul their freshwater habitat with suffocating debris. Housed in a specialized conservation hatchery, the animals required isolated care because of unexpected captive aggression before being released. Researchers are now applying these insights to safeguard other vulnerable native species from worsening natural disasters.
Ecological assessments conducted across the remote northern Marshall Islands have established crucial baselines for the nation's newly formed marine sanctuaries, which cover roughly 48,136 square kilometres. Researchers documented intact tropical environments flourishing without direct human pressures, revealing critical habitats for nesting green turtles and diverse fish populations. These findings provide managers with vital reference points to guide conservation strategies under the country's national conservat…