1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovered in Mexico

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has called it ”the most important archaeological finding of the last decade”

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, described a 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb as “the most important archaeological finding of the last decade.” It was recently found in San Pablo Huitzo in Oaxaca’s Etla Valley. Tomb 10 was uncovered after an anonymous looting report. It stands out for its preservation, architecture, and decoration. This includes mural paintings and reliefs.

The Zapotec practiced complex funerary rituals. At Monte Albán alone, there are more than 200 tombs of varying size and decoration. These show social, political and economic differences among the ancient Zapotecs. Javier Urcid, an anthropology professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, tells The Art Newspaper. “Built beneath residences, tombs were reused over generations—with extra burials and occasional changes to offerings or decoration. The inscribed genealogies verified membership in family lineages.”

The newly discovered tomb may be connected with the nearby Tomb 5. This connection allows experts to date it to the Late Classic period (AD600-AD900). This information is according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

“The first major tomb discovery dates to 1932. The recently excavated tomb is the second-largest known. This is after Tomb 5 was discovered in 1985—also at the ancient settlement Cerro de la Campana,” Urcid says.

“INAH considers this area to have been an acropolis contemporary with Monte Albán. It was the Zapotec capital of its time,” Mexico’s cultural minister, Claudia Curiel, said during a site visit last month.

The entrance to the 5.5m-long, 2m-wide and 2m-high chamber is adorned with an owl-shaped sculptural element. From its beak, a human head emerges, the ancestor to whom the tomb was dedicated.

“Etla Valley tombs feature lizards, serpents, and jaguars. They have monkey or bird heads in their jaws. The meanings of these heads are identity and status. Fernando Berrojalbiz explains this as he is a researcher at the Institute of Aesthetic Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). “The discovered tomb adds the owl. This symbol is linked to the underworld and death. It is also seen in a later tomb of the Postclassic period, pointing to continuity.”

At the threshold, there are carvings of male and female figures—possibly the tomb’s guardians—holding artifacts. Inside, the chamber is decorated with a mural depicting a procession in which members carry copal, a sacred tree resin. There are also reliefs with inscriptions. According to an INAH announcement, the tomb may be key to understanding the local dynasties. It was destined for a prominent figure. The tomb was visited over generations.

Pottery was found there along with human remains. “Tombs contained offerings such as pottery, jewelry, and ritual bone objects,” Urcid notes. These objects were often removed when communities relocated, along with significant bones like skulls and femurs. Berrojalbiz stresses that Tomb 10 shares elements with others in the area. However, some of its features are unique, like the chamber’s stepped vault formed by overlapping stone layers. This uniqueness demonstrates “the diversity and richness in Zapotec expressions”.

“Stabilization work is underway to open the site to the public at year’s end,” Curiel said during the site visit. Updates were also announced for Cerro de la Campana. This is where Tomb 5 is located. Nonetheless, it is closed to the public due to conservation concerns. A replica of Tomb 5 is on exhibit at the Museo Comunitario Cerro de la Campana in Santiago Suchilquitongo.

Restoration, particularly of Tomb 10’s murals, will be challenging. Furthermore, tourism could jeopardize their long-term conservation. Whether access to this part of the tomb will ever be granted is unclear. A replica may be created at some point for visitors, as was done with Tomb 5.

“Alongside political and social insights, expert analysis can reveal the diet and osteobiography of the deceased. The finding may also attract tourism in Oaxaca,” says Edith Ortiz, a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Anthropological Research. “The main challenge is ensuring that federal and state authorities work together. They need to protect the site through a long-term project. This project must be independent of political cycles.”

Source: The Art Newspaper.