Archaeologists in Morelos find Remains of Decapitated Warrior
Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered the remains of a decapitated warrior and a pre-Hispanic oven meant for ceramic production at the foot of El Tlatoani hill in Morelos, Mexico, dating back to the Late classic Period (350-600AD).
The burial of the warrior was found during a dig at the lower part of the mountain. “In this area we found a funerary cist with an individual accompanied by very expensive furnishings. His getup consisted of earflaps and a green stone beaded necklace, along with other artifacts made with this material and a series of pots. Among the osseous remains they identified the inferior extremities and the cervical vertebrae with traces of cuts, which indicates his decapitation”, said archaeologist Raul Francisco Gonzalez Quesada.
Experts believe that, based on the qualities of the clothes he was wearing and the location of his burial, the individual was probably a member of the elite of Tlayacapense society. However, it also looks like he was a warrior since his skull showed signs of having being hit by the tip of an arrow years before his death.
The site where the remains were found are still under excavation and so are not yet open to the public but archaeologists have found a treasure trove of artefacts across dozens of archaeological sites in the area. “It’s wider than what had been believed” said Gonzalez Quesada. “The research made here has the purpose of discovering who built here and who kept the temple-palace functioning, as well as knowing more about the elite and the agricultural-handicraft communities that must have participated in the keeping of this sanctuary in the high zone”.
