July
11
/ 2025
Archaeologists from the University of Houston have uncovered the tomb of Te K'ab Chaak, the first ruler of the ancient Maya city of Caracol and founder of its royal dynasty. This groundbreaking discovery represents the first identifiable ruler's tomb found in over four decades of excavation at Caracol, the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize. The find provides unprecedented insights into early Maya political structures and their complex relationships with ancient Mexican civilizations. Te K'ab Chaak, who acceded to the throne in 331 AD, was interred at the base of a royal family shrine with extraordinary grave goods including eleven pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jadeite jewelry, and a mosaic jadeite mask, describes a University of Houston report. The husband
