An 11th prehistoric skeleton has been found in a Yucatán Peninsula cenote

A prehistoric skeleton has been recovered successful the underground stream and cave strategy on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

Octavio del Río, the cave-diving archaeologist who was among those who made the find, said it is the 11th specified skeleton recovered successful the portion implicit the past 3 decades. Some of the earlier discoveries day backmost arsenic acold arsenic 13,000 years, older than what was primitively thought to beryllium the earliest accomplishment of humans to the Americas (as elaborate with a akin but earlier adjacent uncovering that accompanies this article).

8,000 year-old quality skeleton discovered by cave divers adjacent Tulum

The find was made betwixt Tulum and Playa del Carmen successful the authorities of Quintana Roo, an country that archaeologists see strategical for probe into the earliest inhabitants of North America.

Del Rio, who works with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), told The Associated Press successful precocious February that the skeleton was “found successful a flooded cave astir 26 feet (8 meters) beneath the aboveground aft swimming astir 656 feet (200 meters) done the cave.”

The intricate underground strategy that runs beneath the seashore of the Mexican Caribbean was flooded toward the extremity of the past crystal age, astir 8,000 years ago.

It is astir probable that the remains arrived astatine the tract erstwhile the cave was inactive dry, Del Rio said. 

The skeleton — which was discovered precocious past twelvemonth — was positioned connected a dune of sediment successful a narrower portion of an interior chamber. Del Río said it is virtually definite that the bones were placed determination intentionally.

Ongoing analyses and studies volition supply much details astir the context, antiquity and practices of the region’s past inhabitants.

Previous probe suggests the country of the finds functioned arsenic a burial tract wherever ritual practices were performed by the archetypal peoples who inhabited the region. The presumption of the remains reinforces this interpretation.

Luis Alberto Martos, manager of archaeological studies astatine INAH, said this find volition assistance clarify however the archetypal settlers arrived connected the Yucatan Peninsula and however they utilized the caves successful prehistoric times.

Recent familial information enactment the proposal of a migration from Asia crossed the Bering Strait, though determination are inactive indications of imaginable routes from South America.

In summation to quality remains, the underground rivers and cenotes clasp the remains of extinct animals, specified arsenic elephantine sloths, saber-toothed tigers and ancestral bears.

Archaeologists anticipation these discoveries volition lend to knowing however past populations adapted to the Yucatán Peninsula portion aiding successful the reconstruction of Ice Age ecosystems successful aboriginal research.

Given the ecological vulnerability and archaeological value of the region, scientists person urged officials to designate the underground country arsenic a protected earthy and taste practice site, successful designation of its humanities and biology importance.

With reports from The Associated Press, Infobae, Diario Cambio 22 and El Universal