Ancient Traditions

A remarkably well-preserved Zapotec tomb dating to around AD 600 has been announced by Mexico’s government and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), with officials calling it the country’s most important archaeological discovery of the last ten years because of its condition and the information it can yield. The tomb’s sculpture and surviving mural painting are already being hailed as a rare “window” into Zapotec ritual life, social hierarchy, and beliefs about death. The find was made in Oaxaca’s Central Valleys, in the municipality of San Pablo Huitzo, after INAH followed up on a complaint about looting, an origin story that underlines how much heritage still depends on rapid response and protection once sites are flagged. Have Archaeologists