pre-hispanic

8 February, 2021 - 18:00 ashley cowie

Rare Pre-Hispanic Chimú Burial Discovered In Peru

Archaeologists in northern Peru have unearthed a rare Chimú culture body with three sacred vessels. The Chimú culture existed from approximately 900 AD until 1470 AD and inhabited the northern coast...

25 January, 2021 - 16:00 ashley cowie

‘White Gold’ Seabird Guano Sustained Life in Ancient Atacama

“White Gold,” or seabird guano fertilizer, is found to have boosted agricultural systems in the pre-Inca civilizations of South America who inhabited Chile’s hellish Atacama Desert. Seabird and bat...

Archaeologists at the excavation site of Tecoaque near Calpulalpan in Mexico have discovered 24,000 bones relating to the 500-year-old “sacrifice and revenge slaughter” events that brought Zultépec-Tecoaque to a bloody end.

22 January, 2021 - 13:54 ashley cowie

Charred Remains Reveal the Ultra-Violent End of Zultépec-Tecoaque

Archaeologists at the excavation site of Tecoaque near Calpulalpan in Mexico have discovered 24,000 bones relating to the 500-year-old “sacrifice and revenge slaughter” events that brought Zultépec-...

22 December, 2020 - 17:48 ashley cowie

Maya Elite List Deciphered At The Temple Of Jaguars

Researchers in Mexico have deciphered an ancient text revealing the succession of names of the Cocom dynasty royal Maya blood lineage and published a breakthrough book on the subject. The new book...

9 November, 2019 - 23:05 dhwty

The Inca Empire: What Made it so Powerful?

The Inca (also spelled as Inka) Empire was a South American empire that existed between the 15th and 16th centuries. The Inca Empire was the largest pre-Hispanic civilization in South America and...

A war shield and a bird of prey’s head are two of the Pre-Hispanic symbols discovered in the Mexican tunnel. Source: Edith Camacho, INAH

26 October, 2019 - 05:58 ashley cowie

Pre-Hispanic Symbols Found in a Mexican Tunnel

Archaeologists in Ecatepec, México state, have found a centuries old tunnel with symbolic imagery. The tunnel in Ecatepec is part of a 17th-century colonial dike system called the Albarradón de...

The local Aymara held a ritual before the vessels were removed. Source: Ministerio de Culturas y Turismo de Bolivia / Facebook

20 September, 2019 - 18:44 Ed Whelan

Tiwanaku Excavation Unearths 1400-Year-Old Ritual Vessels

At Tiwanaku, Bolivia , archaeologists have excavated a number of vessels that are believed to be 1,400 years old making them amongst the very oldest artifacts to be found at the site. Tiwanaku is one...

Head and torso of god Xipe Totec found at Ndachjian–Tehuacán archaeological site

3 January, 2019 - 19:05 Ed Whelan

Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico

Delighted archaeologists in Mexico have found the first temple dedicated to the ‘Flayed Lord’ or Xipe Tótec, one of the most important Pre-Columbian deities. The find, which included a stone...

A chamber found under the Plaza San Francisco during works on a subway station in Quito Ecuador.

16 November, 2017 - 23:00 ancient-origins

Subway Station or Cultural Preservation? Development Clashes with Patrimony at a World Heritage Site

The city of Quito, Ecuador is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site due to having the best-preserved and extensive historic centers in Latin America. But there is another, much older story below...

10 September, 2016 - 14:47 Alicia McDermott

Strange Discovery Made in Mexican Cave, Including Mummified Macaw, Baby and Adult Remains

Archaeologists are accustomed to finding evidence of funeral practices around the world, but every once in a while, something they find surprises them. This was the case with a recent discovery in...

9 September, 2016 - 00:46 Alicia McDermott

Graves Hinting at Child Sacrifice Found Near Temple Ruins in Peru

Archaeologists excavating a Pre-Hispanic site in the northern Lambayeque region of Peru have recently unearthed a group of 17 graves. Both adult and child remains were found, of which some show...

Photograph of some of Pre-Hispanic incense burners recently recovered in Mexico.

16 July, 2016 - 14:49 Marilo

Sending Smoke Signals to the Gods: Pre-Hispanic Incense Burners Discovered in Mexico

About 30 Pre-Hispanic perfume or incense burners (sahumadores) have been discovered by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) at the historic site of Cuautitlan...

25 July, 2014 - 23:45 aprilholloway

Archaeologists uncover Pre-Hispanic mortuary bundle in Mexico

Archaeologists in the Hidalgo region of Mexico have discovered a rare mortuary bundle in a containing a well-preserved skeleton wrapped in fabric, according to Art Daily . The funerary practice, in...

14 June, 2014 - 02:41 aprilholloway

Ancient Mexican mural depicting drunken revelry revealed for the first time

An ancient mural which depicts a scene of drunken revelry as part of a pre-Hispanic ceremony dedicated to the goddess Mayahuel, is being opened up to the public for the first time, according to a...

13 March, 2014 - 22:21 aprilholloway

Archaeologists uncover ancient Maya ball court used as a ritual centre

Workers were constructing a school’s basketball court in the municipality of Maxcanu in the Yucatan region of Mexico when they stumbled upon an ancient ball game court which was used as a ritual...

5 March, 2014 - 11:47 aprilholloway

Rare pre-Hispanic shaft tomb uncovered in Mexico

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient shaft tomb in Colima, Mexico, containing the remains of children and small dogs, as well as the sculpture of a long-faced shaman. The intact pre-Hispanic tomb...